Dangerous
by 09sarahbean
Summary: Lucy Jones is back at Hogwarts for her fourth year & finds that the school will be hosting the Triwizard Tournament, an event that hasn't been held in 100 years. Sequel to Connected.
1. 1: Staying at the Burrow

_**A/N: Hello, and welcome to story number four in my Harry Potter series. For anyone new, you should probably go back to the beginning and read through the first three installments, as I have written this one assuming that anyone reading has read the others. The first story is called This is Home.**_

_**There are a whopping 25 chapters in this story, so I hope you're ready for a bit of a longer ride than the first three stories. I will still be uploading on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, and this story is rated T again, mostly for language.**_

_**I hope you enjoy this next chapter in Lucy's life! Away we go!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

'_**Cause I still find inside  
There's something braver  
And I, I won't be  
The silent damnation**_

_**Dangerous by Shinedown**_

**Chapter 1 – Staying at the Burrow**

Lucy Jones was excited. Her summer vacation was finally beginning; she had just finished her third year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and now she was going to be spending the entire holiday with her favorite family in the whole world—the Weasleys.

Lucy had grown up nearly her whole life in America with her adoptive parents, Dan and Sue Jones. She had known from a very young age that she was adopted, but she had never known anything about her birth parents. Because of where she lived, she had assumed that she would go to witch school at Ilvermorny School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, the American school of magic.

However, three summers earlier, Lucy had found out that her birth parents had lived in England, and that she'd been born there, too. Therefore, her name had been registered for Hogwarts as soon as she'd been born. Dan and Sue had given her the option to go to Hogwarts instead of Ilvermorny, and Lucy jumped at the opportunity.

So, she had traveled to England and stayed with the Weasleys, who had graciously opened their home up to Lucy while she was in the country. After spending the second half of that summer with the Weasleys, Lucy went on to her first year of Hogwarts. Her first two years had been full of excitement, learning, and making new friends.

Then, a few months into her third year, she found out who her birth parents had been. She had overheard Albus Dumbledore—headmaster of Hogwarts—talking about them with Remus Lupin—the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Lucy confronted the professors, and they told her who her birth parents had been: James and Lily Potter.

This meant that Lucy's twin brother was Harry Potter—who, when he was only a baby, had managed to defeat the Dark Lord Voldemort. Lucy had been sent away from her family before You-Know-Who had found them, and so her identity had remained a secret. Nobody knew who Lucy was besides herself, Remus, Dumbledore, and her godfather Sirius Black.

After everything that Lucy had found out during her third year, she was glad that the summer holidays were finally here. She was also delighted to be staying in England for the entire summer, although it meant that she wouldn't be seeing her adoptive parents at all.

**~LJ:D~**

Molly and Arthur Weasley had come to the train station to pick up their children and Lucy from the Hogwarts Express. From King's Cross, they got into an old, beat up car that Mr. Weasley had acquired for the occasion, and they drove through the countryside to their home, which was called the Burrow.

Lucy was glad to get out of the car when they arrived at the house. After spending a good portion of the day on the train and then in a car, it was nice to stretch her legs. She breathed in deeply, savoring the fresh air filling her lungs.

"Come along," Mrs. Weasley said, ushering her children forward. "I want you to take your things straight up to your bedrooms before you do anything else! Dinner will be ready soon."

"I hate not being able to do magic," Ron, who was the same age as Lucy, grumbled. His bedroom was on the top floor of the home, which meant he had to drag his trunk all the way up the stairs.

"You can do it, Ron," Lucy said. "It'll help you build some character."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Whatever," he muttered. "You only have to go up to Ginny's room."

"No need to sound so bitter, Ronald," Ginny, Ron's younger sister, said smugly. "Come on, Lucy. Let's leave Ron to his whining."

Ron shot a rude hand gesture at Ginny, who just laughed.

Lucy and Ginny dragged their trunks into the house and started up the stairs. Luckily, Ginny's bedroom was on the first floor, so they didn't have to go very far. Once they reached the room, Lucy was surprised to find that, instead of the usual cot that she had slept on the other two times she'd stayed at the Burrow, there was another bed jammed next to Ginny's.

"It looks like I'm being upgraded," Lucy joked. "I get an actual bed now."

"It's about time," Ginny said with a giggle. She pushed her trunk into the corner of the room and flopped backwards onto her own bed. "It'll be so good to be home for a little while."

Lucy, grinning, set her cat carrier down on her bed. Then she opened the door, and her black cat Evie stepped out. The cat stretched slowly before jumping down and sniffing around Ginny's room.

"This summer is going to be great," Lucy said, pushing her trunk off to the side next to her bed. "It's just—It's a little weird. I'm so used to going back to the States over the summer."

"Are you homesick?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know," Lucy replied. "Not _really_. I'm not sad that I won't be going back, but I am a little upset that I won't be seeing my parents."

"I'm sure you could convince them to come and visit at least once," Ginny reasoned. "Mum and Dad wouldn't mind having them come and stay for a few days."

Lucy nodded. "I'm sure everything will work itself out," she agreed.

**~LJ:D~**

Once the holidays officially started, Lucy's parents were driven from her mind. She was having so much fun; more fun than she ever had when she was back in the States. Her adoptive parents couldn't have children of their own, and Lucy was their only adopted child. Living at the Burrow with the Weasleys gave Lucy an idea of what having siblings would be like.

Lucy and Ginny spent all their time with Ron and the twins, Fred and George, who were two years older than Lucy and Ron. Sometimes they would play Exploding Snap or Gobstones; occasionally, they would walk into the nearby Muggle village, although Mrs. Weasley was very strict about how long they could be there.

They also spent a lot of time flying in the Weasleys' paddock. Ginny never joined them for this, however. Lucy found it very odd, and eventually she asked the other girl about it.

"Well, they never wanted me to fly with them when I was younger," Ginny explained. "They thought I just got in the way. I eventually learned to stop asking if I could play with them. Instead, when I was about six, I started to take their brooms out one at a time to practice with when they weren't around."

"Devious… but genius," Lucy said, impressed.

Lucy was also constantly asking Mrs. Weasley if she needed help around the house. She figured that it was the least she could do since Mrs. Weasley and her husband were letting her stay for the summer.

Meanwhile, Mr. Weasley was going to work regularly, and often when he came home, he'd have stories about what had happened at the Ministry. He worked in the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts office, and Lucy would look forward to hearing what bewitched Muggle objects he had come across.

The only one of the Weasleys that Lucy didn't spend much time with was Percy. He was the third eldest son, and the oldest one still living at the house. Having just graduated from Hogwarts, he was on the job hunt. However, he couldn't start working until he received his N.E.W.T. exam results, which weren't scheduled to arrive until the middle of July.

**~LJ:D~**

About a week after they had been at the Burrow, a letter arrived from one of Lucy's and Ron's best friends—and Lucy's secret twin brother—Harry Potter. His owl Hedwig arrived at breakfast, and Ron opened the letter and read it aloud.

_Ron and Lucy,_

_Hope your summer has been going well. Mine has just taken a turn for the worse._

_Dudley came home from school with a letter from the nurse that said he's far too overweight. They've suggested putting him on a diet. It took a few days for Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon to agree, but now they're insisting that the entire house participate in the diet. I feel like I'm hardly getting any food these days._

_Hope to hear from you soon,_

_Harry_

"Oh, that poor boy," Mrs. Weasley said. "He's skinny enough at is it! I'll see what I can do about sending him some food.…" She stood up and bustled into the kitchen, even though she was only halfway done with her dinner.

The next day, Mrs. Weasley sent Hedwig back off to Harry. Hedwig was carrying a couple packages of food, including one that Lucy and Ron had put together that was made up of only candy. Lucy hoped that it would hold Harry over, at least for a little while.

**~LJ:D~**

A week later, three owls arrived at the Burrow over breakfast. They were carrying Percy's, Fred's, and George's exam results. Percy had taken his N.E.W.T.s that spring, while Fred and George had just taken their O.W.L. exams.

"Well, let's see how you did!" Mrs. Weasley gushed, looking excited. "Percy, you first!"

Percy opened his envelope obediently and pulled out the parchment inside. After reading over his grades, he presented them proudly to the rest of his family.

"Oh, _Percy_!" Mrs. Weasley cried.

Percy had received perfect marks in all the subjects he had taken. Lucy was fairly impressed, but she knew that Percy had worked very hard to achieve those scores.

"Thank you, Mother," Percy said. "Now that I have my grades, I'll be able to accept a job and start working at the Ministry."

"I am so _proud_ of you!" Mrs. Weasley said, beaming. Then she turned to the twins and said, "How did you two do? Let's see those O.W.L.s!"

Fred and George opened their envelopes and pulled out their grades. "How'd you do?" Fred asked. George showed him the parchment, and Fred added, "Nice."

"Let me see!" Mrs. Weasley said excitedly.

Fred and George exchanged a look before holding out their papers. Mrs. Weasley took them and read over their grades. The smile slipped from her face, and a look of horrified anger appeared.

"Why don't the rest of you go outside or up to your rooms," Mr. Weasley suggested, sounding cautious.

Lucy, Ron, Ginny, and Percy stood up immediately. Percy took the stairs up to his room, while the other three hurried out the back door and into the garden.

"What marks do you think they got?" Ron asked.

"Not good ones, judging by your mom's reaction," Lucy replied, feeling a little bit anxious for the twins.

"Maybe they didn't get _any_ O.W.L.s," Ginny added.

"They're not stupid, though," Ron said with a frown. "They've always gotten good marks in the past. Why would they suddenly get bad grades?"

"Maybe they did it on purpose," Ginny suggested, "so they wouldn't have to take as many classes their last two years."

"I'm sure we'll find out soon enough," Lucy said, glancing back towards the house.

Nearly fifteen minutes later, Fred and George marched out into the yard.

"What happened?" Lucy asked, rushing over to them. "How many O.W.L.s did you get?"

"Three," Fred answered.

Lucy exchanged confused looks with Ginny and Ron.

"Only three?" Ginny asked.

"Three each," George said. "Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration."

"How did you only get three O.W.L.s?" Ron questioned.

"Listen, little brother," Fred said. "We have many more aspirations outside of academics. We decided which classes would most benefit us while giving us plenty of free time to pursue our… other goals."

"So you decided to fail some of your exams?" Ginny asked.

"We had better things to do than study," George replied with a shrug. "We studied for the three exams we passed, and spent the rest of our time doing other things."

"Is there any point in asking you what the other things are?" Lucy asked, smirking.

George threw his arm around her shoulders. "When it's ready, you'll see it," he said. He winked, and Lucy giggled.

**~LJ:D~**

However, they all found out what Fred and George were hiding just a few days later. Mrs. Weasley, who was still upset with the number of O.W.L.s the twins had received, decided to go snooping in their room.

Lucy was sitting with Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny in the living room that afternoon. It was rainy out, so they were playing Exploding Snap on the floor. Mrs. Weasley came stomping into the room, looking furious. She had a stack of parchments in her arms.

"What is this?" she demanded, brandishing the papers at Fred and George. They looked confused, and Mrs. Weasley continued, "Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes? What is that supposed to be?"

Fred said, "Ah—"

"_This_ is what you were doing when you should have been studying?" Mrs. Weasley questioned. "Do you know how _dangerous_ some of these things are?"

"Don't worry, Mum," George said quickly. "We've been testing them—"

"You are _children_," Mrs. Weasley hissed. "Children who can't even scrape more than three O.W.L.s each! I expected better from both of you! You are going to get rid of it; _all of it_. If you don't—I will!" She turned around and swept from the room.

"Mum, wait!" Fred said, scrambling to his feet. "What are you doing?" He ran after his mother, George hot on his heels.

There was a moment of silence.

"What was _that_ all about?" Ron asked.

"No idea," Ginny said.

A few minutes later, Fred and George slumped into the living room. "Gone," Fred said. "She's burned them all. We spent _months_ working on those—"

"Working on _what_?" Ron asked, sounding a bit impatient.

"Stuff for our future joke shop," George answered simply.

Lucy and Ginny exchanged a glance.

"We had a whole list of products that we've been making and testing for _ages_," Fred went on. "All kinds of joke items: sweets, fake wands—"

"We were going to try and sell some of it at Hogwarts this year," George explained. "We wanted to try and make some money, 0so that in a few years, once we're done with school, we'll be able to afford a place to open a shop."

"I didn't know you two were interested in actually opening a shop of your own," Ginny said.

"Yeah, that sounds brilliant," Lucy added. "No wonder you didn't care about passing all of your O.W.L.s."

"So, what was all that parchment that Mum found?" Ron asked.

"Order forms and price lists," Fred answered. "Now we'll have to make new ones, but we're going to wait until we get back to Hogwarts. If Mum finds any of our actual products, there'll be hell to pay."

**~LJ:D~**

That night, when Mr. Weasley came home, Mrs. Weasley wasted no time in telling him about what she'd found. Lucy, Ron, and Ginny retreated up to Ron's room to get away from all the yelling.

When they entered the room, Ron's new little owl hooted happily and started to fly around their heads.

"He is far more energetic than I expected an owl of his size to be," Lucy commented.

"That's why he's up here with me," Ron grumbled. "I tried to leave him downstairs, but the other owls weren't happy with that. Stupid bird. Some nights he makes such a racket that I can hardly sleep."

"Did you name him yet?" Ginny asked, looking fondly at the small owl.

"I haven't thought about it much," Ron replied. "Why? Did you have an idea?"

"How about… Pigwidgeon?" Ginny suggested.

The owl hooted and landed on her shoulder.

"_Pigwidgeon_?" Ron repeated, sounding disgruntled. "What the hell kind of a name is that?"

"I think it's sweet," Ginny said, holding her finger up to the owl, and the bird nipped affectionately at it.

"I just—_really_?" Ron said. "I don't think I'm going to call him that. I'm sure I can come up with something better."

Ginny scowled at her brother. "Fine," she said, "but until you do, I'm calling him Pigwidgeon."

**~LJ:D~**

About a week later was Lucy's fourteenth birthday. That morning, she awoke to a voice calling her name. She opened her eyes a little. "Mom?" she asked, confused. The voice sounded like her mother, but there was no way that she could be at the Burrow.

Lucy opened her eyes fully and saw, to her surprise, Dan and Sue standing at the end of her bed. "Mom!" she repeated. "Dad!" She sat up quickly.

"Happy birthday, darling," Sue said, looking fondly at her daughter.

Lucy scrambled out of her bed and launched herself into her parents' arms. "When did you get here?" she asked.

"We arrived last night after you'd gone to sleep," Dan replied. "We wanted to surprise you!"

"Well, consider me surprised!" Lucy said.

"Get dressed and come downstairs," Sue said. "I'm making breakfast for everyone!"

"Mrs. Weasley is letting you use her kitchen?" Lucy asked jokingly.

Sue chuckled, "Well, she is going to help with _something_, of course."

"Of course," Lucy said, shaking her head. "All right, I'll be down in a few minutes. I need to change out of my pajamas."

Dan and Sue left the room, and Lucy quickly changed into some regular clothes. Then, when she looked presentable, she hurried down the stairs and into the kitchen.

"Happy birthday!" a chorus of voices said when she entered the room.

Lucy grinned, noting the small pile of parcels on the table.

"The mail's just arrived," Mr. Weasley explained, noticing where she was looking. "Your Hogwarts letters are here, as well."

"Sit down, Lucy, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "Go ahead and open your letters. Breakfast is almost ready."

Lucy did as she was told, flopping down into the chair between Fred and George. She pulled the letters to herself first and began reading through them.

There were letters from her friends Harry; Hermione Granger, who was Lucy's other best friend; Sally-Anne Perks, her fellow fourth-year Gryffindor; Noelle Watson, the daughter of Dan's and Sue's old school friends; and Jeremy Whitlock, a fourth-year Slytherin that Lucy had befriended in her first year. Lucy found herself very giddy when she got to Jeremy's letter. There was also a short note from Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper at Hogwarts, and another from Remus Lupin.

Next, Lucy moved onto the packages. After opening them all, she expressed her gratitude to the Weasleys and her parents for the presents that were from them.

"Breakfast's ready," Sue said, carrying a large plate full of French toast over to the table.

Lucy smiled happily; she always had French toast on her birthday, and she was so grateful that her mother had made some for them.

**~LJ:D~**

After breakfast, the Hogwarts-aged kids opened their welcome letters. They all looked over their equipment lists, and Ginny waved her permission form to visit the village of Hogsmeade in her parents' faces.

"Dress robes?" Fred said, frowning at his list. "Since when have we ever needed dress robes?"

"I expect you'll find out when you get back to school," Mrs. Weasley said loftily.

Fred and George narrowed their eyes at their mother suspiciously. "What's this all about?" George asked.

"Never you mind," Mrs. Weasley scolded.

"Does this mean that we'll get to go to Diagon Alley to get our things?" Lucy asked, looking up at her mom and dad.

"We can go to Diagon Alley if you like," Sue replied, and Lucy grinned.

They were interrupted then by an owl arriving. It swooped into the window and dropped a letter onto Percy's lap. He opened the envelope and pulled out the parchment from inside. "Good news," he said after he'd finished reading it. "I've been offered a job in the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

"That's wonderful, Percy!" Mrs. Weasley said, clapping her hands. "When do you start?"

"Tomorrow," Percy reported.

"That's Barty Crouch's department," Mr. Weasley commented. "I hope you're prepared for that."

"I'm sure Percy will manage just fine," Mrs. Weasley said, beaming at her son.

**~LJ:D~**

After lunch, Lucy left the Burrow with Dan and Sue to spend some time as a family. Dan and Sue were going home the next day, so Lucy wanted to spend as much time with them as she could.

They decided to go to Diagon Alley and buy Lucy's new school things. First, they stopped in at Gringotts bank, so Lucy could get some more spending money out of her vault. Then they went to the bookstore to pick up any new textbooks Lucy needed. They also went into other various shops to refill Lucy's potions ingredients, ink, and parchment.

The last thing on the list to get was a set of dress robes. Dan decided to go and buy them all some ice creams while Sue accompanied Lucy into Madam Malkin's robe shop.

"Good afternoon, ladies," Madam Malkin greeted, smiling at Lucy and Sue. "What can I help you with today?"

"I need to get some dress robes," Lucy replied. She hadn't owned a set of dress robes in years, and she was excited to see what Madam Malkin had in her shop.

"Right this way," Madam Malkin said, leading Lucy and Sue to a corner of the shop.

There were multiple racks of dress robes hanging against the walls, and Lucy began to look through them. About halfway through one of the racks, Lucy paused. She lifted a hanger off the rail and held the dress up for her mother to see.

"What do you think?" Lucy asked. It had silver straps and a silver bodice, and it faded into a deep purple in the skirt.

"Why don't you try it on?" Sue suggested.

Madam Malkin stepped forward and took the dress from Lucy before directing her to a fitting platform. Then Madam Malkin helped to slip the dress on over Lucy's head.

"How does it look?" Lucy asked, looking at Sue.

"Well, you look beautiful, of course," Sue replied. "It goes so nicely with your eyes."

Madam Malkin, meanwhile, waved her wand and conjured a full-length mirror in front of Lucy so she could see for herself.

"Wow," Lucy breathed, swishing the skirt back and forth. It seemed to shimmer and glow. "I think I want these," she added, looking up at Madam Malkin.

"Very well," the shop keeper said. "Just let me make a few adjustments.…"

She pulled out her wand and began to tweak the hem and and the straps. When she was finished, she helped Lucy pull the dress off and folded it up.

"I should probably get some shoes to go with it," Lucy said when Madam Malkin handed her a bag with her new dress inside. Lucy paid for the dress, and she and Sue exited the shop.

"Did you find something good?" Dan asked. He was waiting outside, holding two ice cream cones for Lucy and Sue.

The witches took the treats from Dan and started to lick them.

"She looks beautiful," Sue repeated. "We're going to have to stop into one more store to get her some shoes that will match, but let's finish our ice cream first."

Lucy agreed, and the three of them took a break to eat their snack.

Once they were finished, they found a shoe shop. Lucy and Sue searched for a short time before finding a pair of silver shoes with a very slight heel that would go well with Lucy's dress. Lucy paid for them, and then the Joneses decided that it was time to head back to the Burrow.

**~LJ:D~**

Mrs. Weasley had prepared a small feast for Lucy's birthday. The meal was very nice, and for dessert, Mrs. Weasley brought out a small chocolate cake.

At the end of the night, Lucy went up to Ginny's room and was surprised to see an owl sitting on her bed. It held its leg out, and Lucy took the letter from it. It turned and flew out the window again.

Lucy ripped open the envelope and saw that the letter was from Sirius. Sirius had been in Azkaban for twelve years, having been wrongly imprisoned for betraying Lucy's parents to You-Know-Who and murdering an entire street full of Muggles. The year before, he had escaped from the prison, and now he was on the run. Only Lucy, Harry, Ron, Hermione, Remus, and Dumbledore knew that he was innocent.

Lucy read through the letter, smiling. She hoped that he was staying safe and out of sight, but she was grateful that he had thought about her enough to send her a birthday message.

Since nobody knew that Sirius was Lucy's godfather, she immediately hid the letter inside her trunk, so nobody else could find it. Then she started to get ready for bed. It had been a very nice birthday.

**~LJ:D~**

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_**A/N: I feel like the explanation/summary at the beginning gets longer and longer in every story. lol.**_

_**So, as you can see, Lucy's relationship with her parents is morphing from parent-child into a more guardian-child. Lucy loves Dan and Sue, and she's very grateful that they took her in and brought her up, but she's growing up and finding that she doesn't miss them as much when they're not around.**_

_**The reason I picked Charms, Defense Against the Dark Arts, and Transfiguration for Fred and George is simple enough. Charms: in book 5, one of them mentions watching Flitwick get inspected by Umbridge. Transfiguration: later in book 4, one of them gets told to continue doing his Transfiguration work by McGonagall when he asks how the champions are chosen. That left one more to choose. They do mention something about selling products before Herbology in book 5, but I don't think that necessarily means that they're in that class. I ended up choosing Defense Against the Dark Arts, because that just seems like a class that they would want to take.**_

_**The stage is set! Now, marching on, to the Quidditch World Cup!**_


	2. 2: Gathering

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

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**Chapter 2 – Gathering**

Three weeks later, Mr. Weasley arrived home from work with exciting news. "As you all know, the Quidditch World Cup is taking place next Monday," he began.

Lucy felt as though she was on the edge of her seat; she was excited to find out whether they were going to the game.

"I talked to Ludo Bagman today at work," Mr. Weasley went on. "He's gotten us eleven tickets to the match."

"That's wonderful, dear," Mrs. Weasley said as her children all cheered.

"We're going to the World Cup?" Fred asked, looking extremely excited.

"Assuming you can behave yourselves for the next week, yes," Mr. Weasley replied.

Fred and George slapped hands. Lucy and Ginny exchanged grins.

"Can I invite Harry and Hermione then?" Ron asked impatiently.

"Yes, you may invite Harry and Hermione," Mr. Weasley answered.

"Maybe it would be better if I wrote Harry's aunt and uncle a letter," Mrs. Weasley said. "I'm not sure if they're used to owl post. Also, they might take the news better coming from an adult."

"I'm going to write to Harry anyway," Ron said.

"What if you write to Harry's aunt and uncle and they say he can't go?" Lucy asked, looking worriedly at Mrs. Weasley.

"They wouldn't say no," Ron said. "It would be a chance to get rid of Harry a week early. I'm sure they would love it."

"Now, Ron, they are his guardians…" Mr. Weasley said, and Ron shrugged.

"Did you let Bill and Charlie know about the tickets?" Mrs. Weasley asked her husband.

"Yes," Mr. Weasley answered. "I sent them both letters from work. Hopefully they'll be able to get the time off to come to the match."

**~LJ:D~**

Within the next few days, Bill and Charlie had responded to their father to tell him they were coming home. Lucy and Ron had written to Hermione and Harry, and Hermione was the first to answer them, letting them know that she would be at the Burrow on Saturday that weekend.

Mrs. Weasley was bustling around the house, trying to make sure there was room for everyone to stay. "When Hermione gets here, she'll be in the room with you girls," she told Lucy and Ginny. "That's the easiest one. There is room for a cot in there, right, Ginevra?"

Ginny scowled at the use of her full name. "Yes, Mum," she said. "We keep our room clean. Right, Lucy?"

"Yeah, there's definitely space," Lucy agreed.

"Okay," Mrs. Weasley said. "Hermione is going to get here on Saturday before dinner. Bill and Charlie will be here on Saturday, as well.… Bill will be here in the morning, and Charlie said he'd try to be home around noon. I think I'll have to put them in the twins' room and move Fred and George upstairs with Ron. Harry will have to go up there, too, when he gets here on Sunday.…" Mrs. Weasley trailed off, thinking hard for a moment, before adding, "Girls, could you please set the table for dinner?"

Lucy and Ginny quickly set off to do as she'd asked.

**~LJ:D~**

Finally, the Saturday before the World Cup had arrived. The cot for Hermione had been set up in Ginny's room, and three cots had been put in Ron's room. Mrs. Weasley, with the help of Lucy and Ginny, had scrubbed the house clean in the week leading up to their visitors arriving, and she was finally satisfied with it.

Lucy was looking forward to seeing Hermione, and she was also excited to finally meet the two eldest Weasley boys. Lucy had been friends with the Weasleys since she'd met them three summers ago, but she had never gotten the chance to meet Bill or Charlie. They had already left Hogwarts by the time Lucy had started, and they had both been living outside of the country when Lucy met the rest of the family. Bill worked for Gringotts Bank in Egypt, while Charlie was a dragon-handler in Romania.

Mrs. Weasley had just set out the breakfast when Pigwidgeon flew into the kitchen. All of the Weasleys—except for Mr. Weasley, who had already left for work—and Lucy were sitting around the table. Pig flew excitedly around the room, and Ron had to snatch him out of the air to get the note from his leg.

"It's from Harry!" Ron reported. "He says that the Muggles are going to let him come to the World Cup!"

Lucy held out her hand, and Ron passed the note over to her. She read it for herself and smiled.

"Remember to let your father know when he gets home," Mrs. Weasley commented. "Then he'll be able to set up a way to collect Harry from his uncle's house."

Ron nodded.

**~LJ:D~**

As they were finishing their breakfast, their first visitor arrived, banging on the front door.

Mrs. Weasley hurried to answer it. "Bill!" she exclaimed as she pulled her eldest son in for a hug. "How are you? When was the last time you cut your hair?" she added exasperatedly.

"Nice to see you, too, Mum," Bill said, chuckling.

"Your brother's home," Mrs. Weasley announced, pulling her son into the dining room.

There was a chorus of greetings echoed around the room.

Mrs. Weasley gestured to Lucy and added, "Bill, this is Lucy."

Bill held out his hand. "Nice to meet you," he said, grinning. His hair was long and pulled back in a ponytail, and in one ear he had an earring with a fang dangling from it.

Lucy shook his hand and replied, "Nice to meet you, too."

"Is there any food left, Mum?" Bill asked, turning back to his mother, and Mrs. Weasley hurried to fix him a plate.

"Lucy, do you want to go out flying?" George asked.

Lucy agreed, and she followed George, Fred, and Ron outside and to the paddock.

**~LJ:D~**

The four of them played Quidditch for a few hours, until Mrs. Weasley was calling them back into the house for lunch. "Come inside, please!" she shouted to them. "Charlie should be here soon! Lunch is ready!"

Lucy and the three boys dismounted from their brooms and put them away before hurrying back to the house. They sat down around the table, and Mrs. Weasley set out the lunch.

"So, Lucy, you're in the same year as Ron, right?" Bill asked as they all began their lunches.

"Yes," Lucy replied.

"Do you like Hogwarts so far?" he asked.

"Yeah, it's been great," Lucy answered, smiling.

"How about you, Ginny?" Bill questioned, turning to his sister. "How's school been?"

"It's been fine," she replied. "I had to pick classes for next year. Care of Magical Creatures and Arithmancy."

"_Arithmancy_?" Ron echoed in surprise.

"Good for you, Ginny," Lucy said, smiling.

"You should ask your brothers how many O.W.L.s they got," Mrs. Weasley said, glaring at the twins.

"We told you, Mum," Fred said. "They were three very well-earned O.W.L.s."

**~LJ:D~**

After lunch, Charlie arrived. Mrs. Weasley introduced him to Lucy, and Charlie also offered her his hand.

"Good to meet you," he said as Lucy shook his hand.

"Likewise," she said. "You older Weasleys have such good manners."

"Hey, George and I have great manners," Fred said, pretending to sound offended.

"We're the definition of gentlemen," George added.

Lucy grinned at them.

**~LJ:D~**

Later that afternoon, Lucy, Ginny, and Ron gathered at the fireplace to welcome Hermione. She was using Floo Powder to get to the Burrow. At five o'clock on the dot, there was a whoosh inside the fireplace, and Hermione was falling out onto the rug, along with her trunk.

"Hermione!" Lucy cried happily. She helped her friend up off the floor.

"Hello, Lucy," Hermione said, smiling. "Hi, Ron, Ginny."

"How's your summer been?" Ron asked.

"It was all right," Hermione replied. "I mostly spent time with my parents. It was nice seeing them for a while."

"You're going to be staying in my room," Ginny said. "Hold on, I'll get some more of my brothers to help carry your trunk.… Bill! Charlie! Come and meet Hermione!"

Bill and Charlie entered the room and said hello to Hermione.

"Do you think you could help carry Hermione's trunk up to my room?" Ginny asked once the introductions were finished.

"Yeah, sure," Bill said.

He and Charlie hauled Hermione's trunk up the stairs and into Ginny's room. The others followed.

"Thank you," Hermione said after Bill and Charlie set her trunk down.

The boys went back downstairs, leaving Lucy, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny in Ginny's room to catch up.

**~LJ:D~**

That night at dinner, Ron told Mr. Weasley that Harry had gotten permission to come to the World Cup.

"Excellent," Mr. Weasley said. "I had the fireplace at his aunt's and uncle's house hooked up to the Floo Network temporarily for tomorrow, so we can Floo to get him."

"Can we go, too, Dad?" Fred asked, gesturing between himself and George.

"If you want to," Mr. Weasley said. "Ron's coming, as well, but I don't think anybody else should. We don't want to turn their living room into a circus."

**~LJ:D~**

Five o'clock on Sunday came, and the Weasley house was in chaos. Mrs. Weasley was working tirelessly on the dinner, which was going to be a very special event. Nobody was allowed in the kitchen while she was working. Ginny had been growing increasingly nervous as the day went on; she still had a bit of a crush on Harry. Percy had barricaded himself in his room, claiming that he was working hard on something for his job.

Meanwhile, Mr. Weasley was busy getting ready to leave for Harry's aunt's and uncle's house. "Boys, we need to go," he called to the twins and Ron. "We were supposed to be there twenty minutes ago.…"

Lucy and Hermione were sitting with Ron in the living room.

Mr. Weasley turned to his youngest son and asked, "Where are your brothers?"

"I don't know," Ron replied, shrugging.

"I think they were out flying with Bill and Charlie," Lucy said.

Mr. Weasley sighed. "Lucy, do you think you could go check if they're out there?" he asked. "And if they are, send them in."

"No problem," Lucy answered, and she hopped up off the couch.

"I'll come with you," Hermione said.

The girls left the house and trooped out to the flying paddock. Fred and George were there, playing a mock game against their older brothers.

"Fred! George!" Lucy yelled up at them. "It's five o'clock! You need to go inside if you want to go and get Harry!"

George landed next to her. "Lost track of time," he said, grinning and holding his broom out to her.

"I don't want your broom," Lucy said jokingly, taking the broom from him.

"Yeah, yeah," George said, putting his arms around her and squeezing her.

"Ew, you're all sweaty!" Lucy giggled, pushing away from him. "Go—your dad's going to be upset."

"All right, all right," George chuckled, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "Hey, Fred! C'mon! It's time to go get Harry!"

Fred flew over and dismounted from his broom, as well. Lucy took the broom from him.

"See you later, Lu!" George called as he and his brother left the paddock.

Lucy turned to Hermione, who was giving her a strange look. "What?" Lucy asked.

"I think George fancies you," Hermione replied.

Lucy laughed. "Oh, come on," she said. "He's like a brother to me."

Charlie and Bill landed near the girls. "Well, looks like our game is over," Charlie said. "Unless you ladies wanted to play."

Hermione shook her head fearfully, but Lucy shrugged. "I think we're going to go inside and wait for Harry to get here," she said. "I guess I should put your brothers' brooms away first."

"Here, I'll take them," Bill offered. He took the two brooms from Lucy and carried them away to the broom shed nearby.

"Well, my brother has definitely taken a fancy to you," Charlie said as he, Lucy, and Hermione headed back to the house.

"Who—me?" Lucy asked, and Charlie nodded. "Which brother?" Lucy wondered.

"George, of course," Charlie answered. "I know that Fred and George seem like the troublemaking duo, but Fred is definitely the more outgoing of the two. Not that George is _shy_, but he isn't usually as… physically affectionate with people as he just was with you. Although he may have changed in the past few years; I haven't spent a lot of time with him since I finished at Hogwarts."

"See? I told you," Hermione added, smiling gleefully.

"You guys are crazy," Lucy said. "George doesn't have a crush on me."

"He totally fancies you!" Hermione said, giggling.

Lucy shook her head, and she, Hermione, and Charlie entered the house.

Mrs. Weasley came out of the kitchen when she heard them come in. "Arthur and the boys finally left," she reported. "Hopefully Harry should be arriving in the next few minutes. Hermione, dear, could you go and find Ginny?"

Hermione nodded and headed for the stairs.

Mrs. Weasley turned back to the other two. "Where's Bill?" she asked.

"He was putting the brooms away outside," Charlie answered. "He should be right in."

Mrs. Weasley nodded and went back into the kitchen. Charlie took a seat at the dining room table and patted the chair next to him. Lucy sat down.

"So, my brother fancies you, but it doesn't sound like you fancy him," Charlie said, continuing their previous conversation.

"When you say it like that it sounds mean," Lucy said. "I think of him like a brother. Your family has become my family in the past few years. It's hard to look at any of you as more than friends."

"There's another boy you fancy," Charlie said, nodding.

Lucy shook her head quickly, although she immediately thought about Jeremy.

"Another girl?" Charlie asked. "I mean, whatever makes you happy. Is it Hermione?"

"No!" Lucy squealed. "Stop guessing. I don't fancy anybody."

"If you say so," Charlie said, grinning.

Bill entered the house and joined Lucy and Charlie at the table.

"Hey, Bill," Charlie said, "do you think George fancies Lucy?"

Lucy groaned and put her head on the table.

"Maybe," Bill replied. "Why? Do you fancy George?"

Lucy shook her head without looking up. "He's like my brother!" she insisted.

Then they heard the fireplace make a whooshing noise, and Lucy lifted her head up. Fred came spinning out of the flames, laughing hysterically.

"What happened?" Bill asked.

"I dropped some of our candy to see if Harry's cousin would try it," Fred explained. "I left before anything happened, but hopefully someone else will see it.…"

The next moment, George was coming out of the fireplace. "Oy, Fred, help me with this trunk, will you?" he asked his twin.

Fred stepped forward, and the two of them yanked the trunk out of the way.

"Did he eat it?" Fred asked.

"Not that I saw," George replied. He sat down at the table with the others.

Moments later, Ron came tumbling out into the room.

"Did Harry's cousin eat the candy?" Fred asked immediately.

"No…" Ron said, sounding confused. "Did you give him some?"

"When I pretended to drop those candies," Fred replied. "I hope that he got hold of one of them. George and I needed someone to test them on, and we were nice enough to not use _you_."

"Very funny," Ron replied sarcastically, rolling his eyes. He also sat at the table.

"So, what do these candies do?" Lucy asked, intrigued.

"It basically enlarges your tongue," Fred explained. "It's just an Engorgement Charm. Nothing too fancy, but something that still needs testing."

A few minutes went by as they waited for Harry to show up, and he finally appeared in the fireplace. He fell onto the floor on all fours, and Fred leapt forward to help him up.

"Did he eat it?" he asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "What _was_ it?"

"Ton-Tongue Toffee," Fred answered. "George and I invented them, and we've been looking for someone to test them on all summer.…"

Lucy, George, Ron, Bill, and Charlie all burst into laughter.

"How're you doing, Harry?" Charlie asked after the laughing had subsided. "I'm Charlie." He offered Harry his hand, and they shook.

"Bill," Bill stated simply, standing and also offering Harry a hand.

Harry nodded in greeting, but before anyone could say any more, there was a small _pop;_ Mr. Weasley had Apparated home.

"That _wasn't funny_, Fred!" he stormed, looking very upset. "What on _earth_ did you give that Muggle boy?"

"I didn't give him anything," Fred said, trying to sound innocent. "I just _dropped_ it.… It was his fault he went and ate it. I never told him to."

"You dropped it _on_ _purpose_!" Mr. Weasley corrected his son. "You knew he'd eat it! You _knew_ he was on a diet—"

"How big did his tongue get?" George cut in.

"It was four feet long before his parents let me shrink it!" Mr. Weasley answered, and everybody else in the room began laughing again, imagining a boy with a four-foot-long tongue. "It _isn't funny_!" Mr. Weasley repeated. "That sort of behavior seriously undermines Wizard-Muggle relations! I've spent half my life campaigning against the mistreatment of Muggles, and my own sons—"

"We didn't give it to him because he's a Muggle!" Fred said.

"No, we gave it to him because he's a great bullying git," George said. "Isn't he, Harry?"

"Yeah, he is, Mr. Weasley," Harry agreed.

"That's not the point!" Mr. Weasley cried. "You wait until I tell your mother—"

"Tell me what?" Mrs. Weasley had heard all the commotion and exited the kitchen. "Oh, hello Harry, dear," she said pleasantly, smiling at Harry. Then she looked back to Mr. Weasley and repeated, "Tell me _what_, Arthur?"

Mr. Weasley had sobered up considerably. As he figured out what he was going to tell his wife, Hermione and Ginny appeared in the room. Ginny flushed when Harry smiled at her.

"Tell me _what_, Arthur?" Mrs. Weasley demanded impatiently.

"It's nothing, Molly," Mr. Weasley finally answered. "Fred and George just—but I've had words with them—"

"What have they done this time?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "If it's got anything to do with Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes—!"

"Why don't you show Harry where he's sleeping, Ron?" Hermione suggested, looking pointedly at Ron.

"He knows where he's sleeping," Ron answered. "He's in my room. He slept there last—"

"We can all go," Lucy interrupted, standing up and walking over to Hermione and Ginny.

"Oh," Ron said. "Right."

"Yeah, we'll come, too," George said.

"_You stay where you are_!" Mrs. Weasley commanded, glaring at the twins.

Harry and Ron hurried to follow the girls from the dining room and up the stairs.

"What are Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes?" Harry asked.

Lucy, Ron, and Ginny laughed.

"Mum found this stack of order forms when she was cleaning Fred's and George's room," Ron explained. "Great long price lists for stuff they've invented. Joke stuff, you know. Fake wands and trick sweets; loads of stuff. It was brilliant. I never knew they'd been inventing all that—"

"We've been hearing explosions out of their room for _ages_," Ginny added, "but we never thought they were actually _making_ things. We thought they just liked the noise."

"Only, most of the stuff—well, all of it, really—was a bit dangerous," Ron continued, "and, you know, they were planning to sell it at Hogwarts to make some money. Mum went mad at them and told them they weren't allowed to make any more of it. She burned all the order forms.… She's furious at them, anyway. They didn't get as many O.W.L.s as she expected."

"Then there was this big row," Ginny said, "because Mum wants them to go into the Ministry of Magic like Dad, and they kept telling her that all they want to do is open a joke shop."

They had reached the second floor, and the door off the landing opened. Percy stuck his head out.

"Hi, Percy," Harry greeted.

"Oh, hello, Harry," Percy replied. "I was wondering who was making all the noise. I'm trying to work in here, you know—I've got a report to finish for the office—and it's rather difficult to concentrate when people keeping thundering up and down the stairs."

"We're not _thundering_," Ron shot back. "We're walking. Sorry if we've disturbed the top-secret workings of the Ministry of Magic."

"What are you working on?" Harry asked.

"A report for the Department of International Magical Cooperation," Percy answered. "We're trying to standardize cauldron thickness. Some of these foreign imports are just a shade too thin—leakages have been increasing at a rate of almost three percent a year—"

"That'll change the world, that report will," Ron taunted. "Front page of the _Daily Prophet_, I expect, cauldron leaks."

"You might sneer, Ron," Percy said, "but unless some sort of international law is imposed, we might well find the market flooded with flimsy, shallow-bottomed products that seriously endanger—"

"Yeah, yeah, all right," Ron cut him off.

He began to stomp up the stairs again, and the other four followed, while Percy slammed his bedroom door shut. They could hear yelling now, coming from somewhere below them.

When they reached Ron's bedroom, the first thing they noticed was Pig, hooting and bouncing around in his cage.

"Shut _up_, Pig," Ron muttered at the bird. "Fred and George are in here with us," he told Harry, "because Bill and Charlie are in their room. Percy gets to keep his room all to himself, because he's got to _work_."

"Er—why are you calling that owl Pig?" Harry asked, eyeing the owl in its cage.

"He's being stupid," Ginny said. "His proper name is Pigwidgeon."

"Yeah, and that's not a stupid name at all," Ron said, glaring at his sister. "Ginny named him. She reckons it's sweet. I tried to change it, but it was too late. He won't answer to anything else, so now he's Pig. I've got to keep him up here because he annoys Errol and Hermes. He annoys me, too, come to that."

"Where are the cats?" Harry asked, looking at Lucy and Hermione.

"Probably out in the garden," Lucy answered.

"Crookshanks likes chasing gnomes," Hermione explained. "He's never seen any before."

"Evie likes to watch Crookshanks get excited about things," Lucy giggled. "She is the laziest cat I've ever met." She sat down on one of the cots.

"Percy's enjoying work, then?" Harry asked, sitting on a cot, as well.

"Enjoying it?" Ron echoed. "I don't reckon he'd come home if Dad didn't make him. He's _obsessed_. Just don't get him onto the subject of his boss. _According to Mr. Crouch—as I was saying to Mr. Crouch—Mr. Crouch is of the opinion—Mr. Crouch was telling me… _They'll be announcing their engagement any day now."

Lucy and Ginny snorted.

"Have you had a good summer, Harry?" Hermione asked, turning her attention to Harry. "Did you get our food parcels and everything?"

"Yeah, thanks a lot," Harry said gratefully. "They saved my life, those cakes."

Ron started, "And have you heard from—?"

Lucy and Hermione both sent him sharp, silencing looks, and he clammed up immediately. He had been about to bring up Sirius, whom Ginny knew nothing about. Talking about a convicted murderer in front of someone who didn't know he was innocent was not a good idea.

"I think they've stopped arguing," Hermione said, breaking the awkward silence that had followed Ron's unfinished question. "Shall we go down and help your mum with dinner?"

"Yeah, all right," Ron was quick to agree.

**~LJ:D~**

The five of them went back downstairs and joined Mrs. Weasley in the kitchen.

"We're eating out in the garden," she told them. "There's just not room for twelve people in here. Could you take the plates outside, Lucy, Hermione? Ginny, grab the glasses. Bill and Charlie are setting up the tables. Knives and forks, please, you two," she finished to Harry and Ron.

Lucy and Hermione grabbed the two stacks of plates and followed Ginny out into the garden.

They reached the spot where Bill and Charlie were meant to be setting up the tables; however, the boys had different ideas. They were each levitating one table high in the air and were using them to duel against each other. The tables were crashing into each other with very loud bangs. Fred and George cheered, egging their brothers on, while Lucy and Ginny laughed gleefully. Hermione looked anxious.

Harry and Ron caught up to the group a few minutes later, just as Bill's table smashed into Charlie's and knocked one of the legs off. There was a noise from above, and everyone looked up to see Percy's head hanging out of his window.

"Will you keep it down?!" he shouted.

"Sorry, Perce," Bill apologized. "How are the cauldron bottoms coming on?"

"Very badly," Percy replied in annoyance, and he disappeared inside his room again.

Bill and Charlie took that as their cue to set the tables up like their mother wanted. With a few flicks of their wands, the tables were safely on the ground. The broken leg was reattached to Charlie's table, and then they were covered with tablecloths. Fred and George set the chairs around the tables, and the rest of them set up twelve places. Then everyone helped Mrs. Weasley carry dishes full of food out into the garden.

As they all got settled into their chairs and started to eat, Percy began to talk rather loudly with Mr. Weasley about work.

"I've told Mr. Crouch that I'll have it ready by Tuesday," Percy said. "That's a bit sooner than he expected it, but I like to keep on top of things. I think he'll be grateful I've done it in good time. I mean, it's extremely busy in our department just now, what with all the arrangements for the World Cup. We're just not getting the support we need from the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Ludo Bagman—"

"I like Ludo," Mr. Weasley commented. "He was the one who got us such good tickets for the cup. I did him a bit of a favor: his brother, Otto, got into a spot of trouble—a lawnmower with unnatural powers—I smoothed the whole thing over."

"Oh, Bagman's _likable_ enough, of course," Percy said airily, "but how he ever got to be Head of Department… when I compare him to Mr. Crouch! I can't see Mr. Crouch losing a member of our department and not trying to find out what's happened to them. You realize Bertha Jorkins has been missing for over a month now? Went on holiday to Albania and never came back?"

"Yes, I was asking Ludo about that," Mr. Weasley said. "He says Bertha's gotten lost plenty of times before now—though I must say, if it was someone in my department, I'd be worried—"

"Oh, Bertha's _hopeless_, all right," Percy replied dramatically. "I hear she's been shunted from department to department for years. She's much more trouble than she's worth… but all the same, Bagman ought to be trying to find her. Mr. Crouch has been taking a personal interest. She worked in our department at one time, you know, and I think Mr. Crouch was quite fond of her—but Bagman just keeps laughing and saying she probably misread the map and ended up in Australia instead of Albania.

"However, we've got quite enough on our plates at the Department of International Magical Cooperation without trying to find members of other departments, too. As you know, we've got another big event to organize right after the World Cup." Percy paused to look down the table at where Lucy and the other Hogwarts-aged kids were sitting. "_You_ know the one I'm talking about, Father," he added. "The _top-secret_ one."

Lucy and Ron rolled their eyes, and Harry asked them in a low voice, "What's he talking about?"

"He's been trying to get us to ask what that event is ever since he started work," Ron replied. "Probably an exhibition of thick-bottomed cauldrons."

Lucy sniggered.

Sitting near them, Mrs. Weasley was berating Bill for his fang earring and his long hair. Next to them, Fred, George, and Charlie had started talking about the World Cup, and Lucy eagerly listened in.

"It's got to be Ireland," Charlie was saying. "They flattened Peru in the semifinals."

"Bulgaria's got Viktor Krum, though," Fred said.

"Krum's one decent player, but Ireland's got seven," Charlie countered. "I wish England had got through. That was embarrassing, that was."

"What happened?" Harry asked.

"Went down to Transylvania, three hundred and ninety to ten," Charlie answered, shaking his head. "Shocking performance. Then Wales lost to Uganda, and Scotland was slaughtered by Luxembourg."

**~LJ:D~**

Once they had all finished eating, Lucy, Hermione, and Ginny helped Mrs. Weasley clear away the dirty dishes. While they were inside putting dishes away and preparing dessert, Mr. Weasley conjured up some candles to light the garden. It was a clear, warm night, and dessert was strawberry ice cream.

When they were finished, Ron turned to Harry. "So—_have _you heard from Sirius?" he whispered.

"Yeah," Harry replied quietly, "twice. He sounds okay. I wrote him yesterday. He might write back while I'm here."

"Look at the time," Mrs. Weasley said. "You really should be in bed, the whole lot of you—you'll be up at the crack of dawn to get to the World Cup. Harry, if you leave your school list out, I'll get your things for you tomorrow in Diagon Alley. I'm getting everyone else's. There might not be time after the World Cup; the match went on for five days last time."

"Wow—I hope it does this time!" Harry exclaimed, to which many of the people sitting around the tables chuckled.

"Well, I certainly don't," Percy said. "I _shudder_ to think what the state of my in-tray would be if I was away from work for five days."

"Yeah, someone might slip dragon dung in it again, eh, Perce?" Fred asked with a grin.

"That was a sample of fertilizer from Norway!" Percy insisted, flushing. "It was nothing _personal_!"

"It was," Fred hissed to Lucy and Harry, who were closest. "We sent it."

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: Fun fact: this was originally where this story started (Mr. Weasley announcing to his family that he'd gotten tickets). I went back later on to add what is now the first chapter, because I wanted to tell some of what happened that summer from Lucy's point of view, as opposed to just exposition when they're telling Harry about what had happened.**_

_**Lucy's finally met Bill and Charlie! As with the other Weasleys (apart from Percy), Lucy does eventually look up to both Bill and Charlie as older brothers, although I would say she definitely grows closer with Bill.**_

_**I pretty much randomly picked the two classes that Ginny chose for her third year. I have no idea which ones she actually took.**_

_**George's feelings for Lucy were never planned. They just happened. I had never planned on her having feelings for anyone other than the person she ends up with, but I found that the bond between her and George was a bit more complicated than I'd originally intended it to be. It made me seriously reconsider who she ends up with, or at least if she should be with George for a little while. It got to the point where I had to put my foot down and say no, because I knew that Lucy was going to end up with someone else. As you can see and will see, Lucy disregards any romantic feelings George has for her, repeating that they're siblings and that's all. She has never and will never see him as anything more than a friend/brother.**_

_**I love the conversation Lucy has with Charlie about who she fancies. "I mean, whatever makes you happy. Is it Hermione?" I feel like I shouldn't find that so amusing, but I just do.**_


	3. 3: An Early Start

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 3 – An Early Start**

Lucy felt herself being shaken awake very early the next morning. When she opened her eyes, she could see that it was still dark outside. She groaned and rubbed her eyes with the palms of her hands.

"Come along, girls," Mrs. Weasley said, standing between the three beds in the room. "Breakfast is nearly ready downstairs. I'm going to go wake the boys." She marched out, pulling the door mostly shut behind her.

"Five more minutes," Ginny moaned, pulling the blanket over her head.

Lucy struggled to sit up in her bed. When she was upright, she picked up her pillow and threw it at Ginny, who squealed when it hit her. "We have to get up," Lucy insisted. Then she added teasingly, knowing it would help get Ginny out of bed, "Come on—we know how long it takes you to decide what to wear."

Ginny threw the blanket off her head and glared at Lucy. "It doesn't take me a long time to decide what to wear!" she argued.

Lucy smirked before glancing over at Hermione's bed. Hermione was already sitting up and pushing her hair out of her face.

The girls slowly got out of bed and changed out of their pajamas. Lucy pulled her shoulder length black hair into a ponytail.

"Girls!" Mrs. Weasley had returned, and she was looking a bit frazzled. "Please come downstairs and have some breakfast. You have to leave soon."

"Sorry, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said. "We're coming."

Mrs. Weasley left again, and the girls grabbed their backpacks and jackets before following her down the stairs.

"Why do we have to be up so early?" Ginny asked as the girls entered the kitchen.

They sat down in three empty chairs and helped themselves to bowls of porridge.

"We've got a bit of a walk," Mr. Weasley replied; Lucy finally took a good look at him and noticed that he was wearing mismatching Muggle clothes.

"Walk?" Harry repeated. "What, are we walking to the World Cup?"

"No, no, that's miles away," Mr. Weasley assured them. "We only need to walk a short way. It's just that it's very difficult for a large number of wizards to congregate without attracting Muggle attention. We have to be very careful about how we travel at the best of times, and on a huge occasion like the Quidditch World Cup—"

"George!" Mrs. Weasley snapped suddenly.

"What?" George said, trying hard to look innocent.

"What's that in your pocket?" Mrs. Weasley asked, glaring at her son.

"Nothing!" George cried.

"Don't you lie to me!" Mrs. Weasley said. She took her wand out and pointed it at George, saying, "_Accio_!" A couple of brightly colored items flew out of George's pocket and into his mother's hand. "We told you to destroy them!" Mrs. Weasley yelled. "We told you to get rid of the lot! Empty your pockets! Go on! Both of you!"

Lucy looked at what Mrs. Weasley had confiscated and knew they had to be more of the twins' trick candies.

Both boys emptied handfuls of candy onto the table, but Mrs. Weasley wasn't satisfied. She used her Summoning Charm on the boys until she could find no more, and then she threw them in the trash.

"We spent six months developing those!" Fred said.

"Oh, a fine way to spend six months!" Mrs. Weasley shouted. "No wonder you didn't get more O.W.L.s!"

**~LJ:D~**

The rest of breakfast passed in uneasy silence, and Lucy was more than happy when Mr. Weasley announced that it was time to leave. Fred and George were the first to leave the house, without a look back at their mother.

"Well, have a lovely time," Mrs. Weasley said, "and _behave yourselves_." She glared after the twins. "I'll send Bill, Charlie, and Percy around midday."

The rest of them said good-bye to Mrs. Weasley and started off across the lawn. Dawn was just about to break, and it was chilly. Lucy pulled her jacket around her.

"So, how _does_ everyone get there without all the Muggles noticing?" Harry asked Mr. Weasley.

"It's been a massive organizational problem," Mr. Weasley replied. "The trouble is, about a hundred thousand wizards turn up at the World Cup, and of course, we just haven't got a magical site big enough to accommodate them all. There are places Muggles can't penetrate, but imagine trying to pack a hundred thousand wizards into Diagon Alley or platform nine and three-quarters. So, we had to find a nice deserted moor and set up as many anti-Muggle precautions as possible. The whole Ministry's been working on it for months.

"First, of course, we have to stagger the arrivals," Mr. Weasley went on. "People with cheaper tickets have to arrive two weeks beforehand. A limited number use Muggle transport, but we can't have too many clogging up their buses and trains—remember, wizards are coming from all over the world. Some Apparate, of course, but we have to set up safe points for them to appear that's well away from Muggles. I believe there's a handy wood they're using as the Apparition point.

"For those who don't want to Apparate—or can't—we use Portkeys. They're objects that are used to transport wizards from one spot to another at a prearranged time, and you can do large groups at a time if you need to. There have been two hundred Portkeys placed at strategic points around Britain, and the nearest one to us is up at the top of Stoatshead Hill, so that's where we're headed." Mr. Weasley gestured ahead of them, where they could see the hill rising in the distance.

"What sort of objects are Portkeys?" Harry asked.

"Well, they can be anything," Mr. Weasley replied. "Unobtrusive things, obviously, so Muggles don't go picking them up and playing with them—stuff they'll just think is litter.…"

They continued in silence. The sky was gradually becoming lighter, and soon they reached the hill. The walk to the top proved to be a bit more difficult than they thought. Soon they were all wheezing and groaning, and eventually they got to the top of the hill.

"I do _not_ want to do that again," Lucy muttered to twins, who both nodded their agreement.

"Whew," Mr. Weasley sighed. "Well, we've made good time—we've got ten minutes.… Now, we just need the Portkey. It won't be big—come on.…"

They all began searching for an object which could be the Portkey.

A few minutes later, a voice called over to them, "Over here, Arthur! Over here, son! We've got it!"

Everyone looked up to see two people standing on the other side of the hilltop.

"Amos!" Mr. Weasley said, and he led his group over to the newcomers. He shook hands with the man, and then turned to the rest and said, "This is Amos Diggory, everyone. He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. I think you might know his son, Cedric?"

Cedric waved from beside his father. "Hi," he greeted.

"Hi," Lucy, Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny all said. Lucy and Ginny exchanged a glance; Cedric was a very good-looking boy.

Fred and George didn't say anything in greeting. Cedric played for the Hufflepuff Quidditch team at school, and they had beaten the Gryffindor team the year before.

"Long walk, Arthur?" Mr. Diggory asked.

"Not too bad," Mr. Weasley answered. "We live just on the other side of the village there. You?"

"Had to get up at two, didn't we, Ced?" Mr. Diggory chuckled, clapping his son on the back. "I tell you, I'll be glad when he's got his Apparition test. Still—not complaining. Quidditch World Cup—wouldn't miss it for a sack full of Galleons—and the tickets cost about that. Mind you, looks like I got off easy.… All these yours, Arthur?" Mr. Diggory was looking over the rest of the group.

"Oh, no, only the redheads," Mr. Weasley replied. He gestured to his four children who were present and said, "Fred, George, Ron, and Ginny." Then he pointed to the other three and continued, "This is Lucy; she's been staying with us this summer—Hermione, one of Ron's friends—and Harry, another friend—"

"Merlin's beard," Mr. Diggory said. "Harry? Harry _Potter_?"

"Er—yeah," Harry replied, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.

"Ced's talked about you, of course," Mr. Diggory said, smiling. "Told us all about playing against you last year.… I said to him, I said—Ced, that'll be something to tell your grandchildren, that will.… _You beat Harry Potter_!"

Harry stared blankly at him, and Fred and George scowled.

"Harry fell off his broom, Dad," Cedric said, looking embarrassed. "I told you—it was an accident."

"Yes, but _you_ didn't fall off, did you?" Mr. Diggory said. "Always modest, our Ced; always the gentleman… but the best man won! I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh? One falls off his broom, and one stays on.… You don't need to be a genius to tell which one's the better flier!"

"Harry's a wonderful flyer," Lucy said, frowning. "He only fell off his broom because of the dementors."

"Must be nearly time," Mr. Weasley interrupted, checking his watch.

"Cedric may have beat us last year, but we still won the cup," George hissed in Lucy's ear, and she smirked at him.

"Do you know whether we're waiting for any more, Amos?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"No, the Lovegoods have been there for a week already, and the Fawcetts couldn't get tickets," Mr. Diggory replied. "There aren't any more of us in this area, are there?"

"Not that I know of," Mr. Weasley said. "Yes, it's a minute off.… We'd better get ready.…" He turned to his group and added, "You just need to touch the Portkey, that's all. A finger will do.…"

Mr. Diggory held out the Portkey, which was an old boot. Everyone reached out and put a finger on it.

Mr. Weasley, looking at his watch, said, "Three—two—one—"

All of a sudden, Lucy felt herself being lifted in the air. The wind whipped around them, and Lucy couldn't pull her finger away from the boot even if she wanted to. She had only ever used a Portkey once before, but it was still an odd feeling to her.

The journey only lasted for a few moments; suddenly, Lucy's feet slammed back onto the ground, and she fell over, knocking into George in the process. When she looked up, she saw that Mr. Weasley, Mr. Diggory, and Cedric were the only ones still standing.

"Seven past five from Stoatshead Hill," a voice called from somewhere close by.

The rest of the group got to their feet. There were two men standing in front of them, looking exhausted.

"Morning, Basil," Mr. Weasley greeted one of the men. He picked up the boot and handed it over.

"Hello there, Arthur," the wizard called Basil replied, taking the Portkey. "Not on duty, eh? It's all right for some—we've been here all night.… You'd better get out of the way. We've got a big party coming in from the Black Forest at five-fifteen. Hang on, I'll find your campsite.… Weasley—Weasley—" He checked the list in his hand. "About a quarter of a mile's walk over there and the first field you come to. Site manager's called Mr. Roberts. Diggory—second field—ask for Mr. Payne."

"Thanks, Basil," Mr. Weasley said, and he led the group on to their campsite.

**~LJ:D~**

They walked for about twenty minutes before they reached the first field. Beyond they could see hundreds of tents pitched on the multiple fields in front of them.

"This is where we part ways, I think," Mr. Diggory said. "Enjoy the match! We'll see you! Come along, Ced."

Cedric waved his good-bye and followed his father away.

Mr. Weasley walked up to the small cottage that sat in front of the first field. There was a man standing in front of it, and Lucy could tell immediately that this was a proper Muggle.

"Morning!" Mr. Weasley announced, smiling.

"Morning," the Muggle replied.

"Would you be Mr. Roberts?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Aye, I would," Mr. Roberts answered. "Who're you?"

"Weasley," Mr. Weasley said. "Two tents, booked a couple days ago?"

"Aye," Mr. Roberts repeated. He looked at a list hanging from his front door. "You've got the space up by the wood there. Just the one night?"

"That's it," Mr. Weasley confirmed.

"You'll be paying now, then?" Mr. Roberts asked.

"Ah—right—certainly," Mr. Weasley stammered, looking nervous. He took a few steps back from the cottage, dragging Harry with him. The rest of them waited patiently while Mr. Weasley and Harry muttered for a few seconds. Then Mr. Weasley came back, handing over a few Muggle bills.

"You foreign?" Mr. Roberts questioned, eying them suspiciously.

"Foreign?" Mr. Weasley echoed, confused.

"You're not the first one who's had trouble with money," Mr. Roberts explained. "I had two try to pay me with great gold coins the size of hubcaps ten minutes ago."

"Did you really?" Mr. Weasley said.

Mr. Roberts counted Mr. Weasley's money and then reached into a tin to get him some change. "Never been this crowded," Mr. Roberts commented, frowning. "Hundreds of pre-bookings. People usually just turn up—"

"Is that right?" Mr. Weasley said, waiting for Mr. Roberts to give him his change, but Mr. Roberts seemed thoroughly distracted.

"Aye," he continued. "People from all over. Loads of foreigners. Not just foreigners, mind. Weirdos, you know? There's a bloke walking 'round in a kilt and poncho."

"Er—Shouldn't he?" Mr. Weasley asked, and Lucy and Hermione glanced at him in concern.

"It's like some sort of—I dunno—like some sort of rally," Mr. Roberts said. "They all seem to know each other. It's like a big party."

Suddenly, a wizard Apparated next to the group and, pointing his wand at Mr. Roberts, said, "_Obliviate_!" Lucy and Hermione both gasped in surprise.

Mr. Roberts's expression went blank. "A map of the campsite for you," he said to Mr. Weasley, handing over a map, "and your change."

"Thanks very much," Mr. Weasley said.

The wizard who had appeared followed their group away from the Muggle. When they were far enough away from him, the wizard spoke to Mr. Weasley. "Been having a lot of trouble with him," he said. "Needs a Memory Charm ten times a day to keep him happy. And Ludo Bagman's not helping: trotting around talking about Bludgers and Quaffles at the top of his voice—not a worry about anti-Muggle security. Blimey, I'll be glad when this is over. See you later, Arthur." Then he Disapparated.

"I thought Mr. Bagman was Head of Magical Games and Sports," Ginny said. "He should know better than to talk about Bludgers near Muggles, shouldn't he?"

"He should," Mr. Weasley agreed, "but Ludo's always been a bit—well—_lax_ about security. You couldn't wish for a more enthusiastic head of the sports department, though. He played Quidditch for England himself, you know. He was the best Beater the Wimbourne Wasps ever had."

They continued through the first campsite. Lucy was laughing at the obvious attempts to make the tents seem like Muggle ones. Some of the tents weren't even trying, looking so extravagant that Lucy didn't wonder why Mr. Roberts was getting suspicious.

"Always the same," Mr. Weasley commented. "We can't resist showing off when we get together. Ah, here we are! Look, this is us."

They had come to an empty space with a sign stuck in the ground reading _Weezly_.

"Couldn't have picked a better spot!" Mr. Weasley said enthusiastically. "The field is just on the other side of the wood there; we're as close as we could be. Right, no magic allowed, strictly speaking—not when we're out in these numbers on Muggle land. We'll be putting these tents up by hand! Shouldn't be too difficult—Muggles do it all the time.… Here, Harry, where do you reckon we should start?"

Harry and Hermione stepped forward to help Mr. Weasley with the tent, but the Weasley children and Lucy sat down on the grass and watched. Lucy had no idea how to put up a tent, so she decided it'd be best to not get in the way.

**~LJ:D~**

It took Harry, Hermione, and Mr. Weasley a while to get the two tents up, but they eventually got them pitched.

"We'll be a bit cramped," Mr. Weasley reported, crawling into one of the tents, "but I think we'll all squeeze in. Come and have a look."

One by one, they all entered the tent to get a look at it. As Lucy had suspected, just because the tents looked ordinary from the outside, it didn't mean the inside would be that way, too. There were four bunk beds fit very comfortably in the tent, and there was a bathroom and a kitchen.

"Well, it's not for long," Mr. Weasley said. "I borrowed them from Perkins at the office. Doesn't camp much anymore, poor fellow. He's got lumbago." He picked up a kettle from the kitchen. "We'll need water.…"

"There's a tap marked on this map the Muggle gave us," Ron reported, studying said map of the campsite. "It's on the other side of the field."

"Well, why don't you, Harry, Lucy, and Hermione go and get us some water, then," Mr. Weasley instructed, handing over the kettle and a few other containers for water. "And the rest of us will get some wood for a fire."

"But we've got an oven," Ron whined. "Why can't we just—?"

"Ron, anti-Muggle security!" Mr. Weasley reminded him, looking very excited. "When real Muggles camp, they cook on fires outdoors. I've seen them at it!"

"So, who's staying in this tent?" Lucy asked Mr. Weasley. "There are only four bunk beds, but there are going to be eleven of us."

"Ah, yes," Mr. Weasley said. "Yes, we boys will be staying in this tent. You, Hermione, and Ginny will be in the other tent. We can take a quick tour of that one before you lot go get the water."

The group checked out the girls' tent, where there were three single beds, a bathroom, and a kitchen. Lucy and Hermione left their things in the tent and met Harry and Ron outside.

**~LJ:D~**

Their walk over to the water tap proved to be very interesting. Other people in the camp were starting to wake up. There were groups of witches and wizards sitting outside their tents, talking and laughing together. Like Mr. Roberts had said at the campsite entrance, there were a lot of foreigners among the campers.

"Er—is it my eyes, or has everything gone green?" Ron asked after they'd been walking for a bit.

"It's not you," Lucy said, looking around. "Irish supporters!"

The tents they were passing now were decked out with green shamrocks, clearly showing support for the Irish team.

"Harry! Ron! Lucy! Hermione!" a voice called out to them.

They all looked around to find Seamus Finnigan, their classmate and Harry's and Ron's dormitory mate. His best friend and the boys' dormitory mate Dean Thomas was there, as well, along with a woman whom Lucy guessed was Seamus's mother.

"Like the decorations?" Seamus asked, grinning.

"Love them," Lucy said, while the other three nodded.

"The Ministry's not too happy," Seamus told them, shaking his head.

"Ah, why shouldn't we show our colors?" Mrs. Finnigan said with a strong Irish accent. "You should see what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over _their_ tents. You'll be supporting Ireland, of course?"

The four of them assured her that they were, and then they continued on their way to the water tap.

"Like we'd say anything else surrounded by that lot," Ron said.

"I wonder what the Bulgarians have got dangling all over their tents," Hermione said.

"Let's go and have a look," Harry replied. He pointed at a group of tents ahead of them, which seemed to be where the Bulgarian supporters were camping.

The four trooped over to the area and found that the tents had been plastered with the same poster of one of the Bulgarian players.

"Krum," Ron said, his tone full of awe.

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Krum!" Ron repeated. "Viktor Krum, the Bulgarian Seeker!"

"The one decent player that Bulgaria has as opposed to Ireland's seven?" Lucy asked, echoing what Charlie had said the night before.

"He looks really grumpy," Hermione commented.

"_Really grumpy_?" Ron asked incredulously. "Who cares what he _looks_ like? He's _unbelievable_. And he's really young, too—only just eighteen or something. He's a _genius_. You wait until tonight! You'll see."

Finally, they came to the water tap. There was a short line already forming when they reached it, so they stood behind a couple of wizards having an argument about Muggle clothing. One of the wizards was wearing a nightgown, while the other was attempting to get him to put pants on.

"Just put them on, Archie. There's a good chap," the wizard holding the pants said. "You can't walk 'round like that. The Muggle at the gate's already getting suspicious—"

"I bought this in a Muggle shop," Archie replied. "Muggles wear them."

"Muggle _women_ wear them, Archie, not the men. They wear _these_," the first wizard argued, shaking the pants in Archie's face.

"I'm not putting them on," Archie insisted. "I like a healthy breeze 'round my privates, thanks."

Lucy and Hermione looked at each other and had to duck out of line, giggling uncontrollably. They stood a few feet away, so Archie and his friend wouldn't overhear them laughing.

"Lucy! Hermione!"

The girls turned around to see Jeremy Whitlock walking towards them, a warm smile on his face.

"Jeremy!" Lucy exclaimed, grinning widely and throwing her arms around him in a hug.

"I wasn't sure if I was going to see you here or not," Jeremy said when Lucy pulled away.

She flushed slightly. "I may or may not have forgotten to write to you about Mr. Weasley getting us tickets," she admitted, and Jeremy chuckled. "I see your family got tickets," Lucy added.

"Yeah, but that's not very surprising," Jeremy replied. "My family is all pureblood pride. We're almost required to come to events like this. Not that I'm complaining, of course. Quidditch is a good enough excuse to spend time with my family."

"Required to?" Lucy repeated, puzzled.

"It's like living in high society," Jeremy said. "All the old, rich pureblood families need to keep up appearances, or so my parents think."

Lucy glanced over to Ron and Harry and saw that they were stepping up to the water tap. "We need to go rejoin Harry and Ron," she said. "We're on a mission to get water, so we should go help them out. We'll see you at Hogwarts?"

"Of course," Jeremy replied. "See you!" He turned and walked off, and Lucy and Hermione went to help Ron and Harry with the water.

"Right—you don't fancy anyone," Hermione said slyly, smiling knowingly.

"I don't fancy Jeremy!" Lucy exclaimed, although she felt her face warm up immediately.

They reached Ron and Harry and helped to fill their water containers. Then the four of them set off back across the camp. They met a lot of familiar faces as they walked back: Oliver Wood, the former captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, who was now finished with school; Ernie Macmillan, a fourth-year Hufflepuff; and Cho Chang, the fifth-year Seeker for the Ravenclaw Quidditch team, who waved when she saw Harry. Harry spilled water on himself as he hastily tried to wave back at her.

Lucy and Ron sniggered, and Harry quickly pointed out a group of teenagers sitting in front of another tent. "Who d'you reckon they are?" he asked. "They don't go to Hogwarts, do they?"

"They probably go to Ilvermorny," Lucy said, noticing the American flag plastered to the tent.

"That's the American school that you almost went to, right?" Harry noted. Lucy nodded, and Harry added, "I wonder how many other schools there are.…"

"Bill had a pen friend at a school in Brazil," Ron commented.

"Brazil, huh?" Lucy said. "Was it Castelobruxo?"

"I don't remember; this was years and _years_ ago," Ron answered. "Anyway, Bill wanted to go on an exchange trip, but Mum and Dad couldn't afford it. His pen friend got all offended when he said he wasn't going and sent him a cursed hat. It made his ears shrivel up."

Lucy and Harry laughed.

**~LJ:D~**

Finally, they made it back to their tents.

"You've been _ages_," George complained. He, Fred, and Ginny were sitting on the ground while Mr. Weasley was on his knees in front of the pile of wood they had collected.

"Met a few people," Ron said dismissively. "You not got that fire started yet?"

"Dad's having fun with the matches," Fred said, gesturing to Mr. Weasley, and Hermione hurried to help him get the fire lit.

With Hermione's assistance, the fire was started in no time, but it took about an hour for the flames to be hot enough for them to cook anything. As they waited for it to be ready, Mr. Weasley pointed out the different Ministry workers who were running around the campsite.

When the fire was ready, they began to cook eggs and sausages. Bill, Charlie, and Percy joined them then, walking towards them from out of the woods.

"Just Apparated, Dad," Percy reported as the three older boys joined their group. "Ah, excellent—lunch!"

Mr. Weasley began to pass plates around until everyone had some eggs and sausages.

They were about halfway through eating when Mr. Weasley jumped up, waving a man to come over to their fire. "Aha!" he said. "The man of the moment! Ludo!"

Ludo Bagman grinned and waved at the group. He was wearing a pair of old Quidditch robes instead of Muggle attire. "Ahoy there!" he said. "Arthur, old man," he said, shaking Mr. Weasley's hand. "What a day, eh? What a _day_! Could we have asked for more perfect weather? A cloudless night coming—and hardly a hiccough in the arrangements.… Not much for me to do!"

Percy stood and shook Bagman's hand, as well. Lucy exchanged a sidelong glance with George at his brother's brown-nosing.

"Ah—yes," Mr. Weasley said, "this is my son, Percy. He's just started at the Ministry—and this is Fred—no, George, sorry—_that's_ Fred—Bill, Charlie, Ron—my daughter, Ginny—and Ron's friends, Hermione Granger, Lucy Jones, and Harry Potter. Everyone, this is Ludo Bagman. You know who he is. It's thanks to him we've got such good tickets.…"

Bagman waved his hand lazily. "Fancy a flutter on the match, Arthur?" he asked. "I've already got Roddy Pontner betting me Bulgaria will score first—I offered him nice odds, considering Ireland's front three are the strongest I've seen in years—and little Agatha Timms has put up half her shares in her eel farm on a weekend long match."

"Oh… go on, then," Mr. Weasley said. "Let's see… a Galleon on Ireland to win?"

"A Galleon?" Bagman repeated, sounding a bit disappointed. "Very well, very well.… Any other takers?"

"They're a bit young to be gambling," Mr. Weasley said. "Molly wouldn't like—"

"We'll bet thirty-seven Galleons, fifteen Sickles, and three Knuts," Fred said as he and George emptied their pockets, "that Ireland wins—but Viktor Krum gets the Snitch. Oh, and we'll throw in a fake wand."

"You don't want to go showing Mr. Bagman rubbish like that," Percy muttered darkly.

Fred handed over the fake wand, and Bagman waved it. It squeaked and turned into a rubber chicken. Bagman laughed hysterically. "Excellent!" he chuckled. "I haven't seen one that convincing in years! I'd pay five Galleons for that!"

Percy looked quite displeased about Bagman's approval.

"Boys," Mr. Weasley said quietly, "I don't want you betting.… That's all your savings.… Your mother—"

"Don't be a spoilsport, Arthur!" Bagman said cheerfully. "They're old enough to know what they want! You reckon Ireland will win, but Krum'll get the Snitch? Not a chance, boys, not a chance.… I'll give you excellent odds on that one.… And we'll add five Galleons for the funny wand, then, shall we?…" He pulled out a little notebook and wrote the bet down inside, along with Fred's and George's names.

"Cheers," George said as Bagman handed him a slip of paper. He pocketed it.

Bagman turned back to Mr. Weasley. "Couldn't do me a brew, I suppose?" he asked. "I'm keeping an eye out for Barty Crouch. My Bulgarian opposite number's making difficulties, and I can't understand a word he's saying. Barty'll be able to sort it out. He speaks about a hundred and fifty languages."

"Mr. Crouch?" Percy said, perking up. "He knows over two hundred! Mermish and Gobbledegook and Troll—"

"Anyone can speak Troll," Fred quipped. "All you have to do is point and grunt."

Lucy, George, Ginny, Ron, and Harry snorted.

"Any news of Bertha Jorkins yet, Ludo?" Mr. Weasley asked.

"Not a dicky bird," Bagman replied, "but she'll turn up. Poor old Bertha… memory like a leaky cauldron, and no sense of direction. Lost, you take my word for it. She'll wander back into the office sometime in October, thinking it's still July."

"You don't think it might be time to send someone to look for her?" Mr. Weasley hinted as Percy passed Bagman a cup of tea.

"Barty Crouch keeps saying that," Bagman said, "but we really can't spare anyone at the moment. Oh—talk of the devil! Barty!" An older looking man had just Apparated next to their tents, and Bagman patted the ground next to him and offered, "Pull up a bit of grass, Barty."

"No, thank you, Ludo," Crouch replied stiffly. "I've been looking everywhere for you. The Bulgarians are insisting we add another twelve seats to the Top Box."

"Oh, is _that_ what they're after?" Bagman said. "I thought the chap was asking to borrow a pair of tweezers. Bit of a strong accent."

"Mr. Crouch!" Percy cut in, buzzing with nervous energy. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

"Oh," Crouch said, looking at Percy. "Yes—thank you, Weatherby."

Fred and George snickered into their drinks, and Percy flushed in embarrassment before tending to the tea.

"Oh, and I've been wanting a word with you, too, Arthur," Crouch continued. "Ali Bashir's on the warpath. He wants a word with you about your embargo on flying carpets."

"I sent him an owl about that just last week," Mr. Weasley sighed. "If I've told him once, I've told him a hundred times: carpets are defined as a Muggle Artifact by the Registry of Proscribed Charmable Objects, but will he listen?"

"I doubt it," Crouch said as he took his cup of tea from Percy. "He's desperate to export here."

"Well, they'll never replace brooms in Britain, will they?" Bagman asked.

"Ali thinks there's a niche in the market for a family vehicle," Crouch explained. "I remember my grandfather had an Axminister that could seat twelve—but that was before carpets were banned, of course."

"So, been keeping busy, Barty?" Bagman asked.

"Fairly," Crouch answered. "Organizing Portkeys across five continents is no mean feat, Ludo."

"I expect you'll both be glad when this is over?" Mr. Weasley said.

"Glad!" Bagman said, looking at Mr. Weasley like he was crazy. "Don't know when I've had more fun!… Still, it's not as though we haven't got anything to look forward to, eh, Barty? Eh? Plenty left to organize, eh?"

"We agreed," Crouch said slowly, "not to make the announcement until all the details—"

"Oh, details!" Bagman interrupted dismissively. "They've signed, haven't they? They've agreed, haven't they? I bet you anything these kids'll know soon enough anyway. I mean, it's happening at Hogwarts—"

Lucy exchanged glances with Fred and George.

"Ludo, we need to meet the Bulgarians, you know," Crouch said firmly. "Thank you for the tea, Weatherby." He handed his full cup back to Percy.

Bagman sighed before swallowing the rest of his tea and standing up. "See you all later!" he said, waving at the group. "You'll be up in the Top Box with me—I'm commentating!"

Then he and Crouch Disapparated.

"What's happening at Hogwarts, Dad?" Fred asked at once. "What were they talking about?"

"You'll find out soon enough," Mr. Weasley replied mysteriously.

"It's classified information, until such time as the Ministry decides to release it," Percy added, frowning. "Mr. Crouch was quite right not to disclose it—"

"Oh, shut up, Weatherby," Fred said.

**~LJ:D~**

As the afternoon wore on into evening, the campers were trying less and less to act like Muggles. The Ministry workers had stopped trying to cover up every act of magic they saw, as well. There were just too many people to try and keep up with them all.

Meanwhile, salesmen were making their way through the campsite with their carts. They were selling souvenirs for each team. Lucy went with Harry, Ron, and Hermione to look at a few of the carts.

"Been saving my pocket money all summer for this," Ron said excitedly, leading the way.

Lucy and Ron bought green rosettes to support Ireland, and Ron also bought a dancing shamrock hat and a figure of Viktor Krum.

"Wow, look at these!" Harry said, pointing at a cart that was full of what looked like binoculars.

"Omnioculars!" the salesman said. "You can replay action—slow everything down—and they flash up a play-by-play breakdown if you need it. Bargain—ten Galleons each."

"Wish I hadn't bought this now," Ron said gloomily, looking at his dancing hat.

"Four pairs," Harry said suddenly.

"No—don't bother," Ron said, flushing.

"You won't be getting anything for Christmas," Harry told his three friends, passing them each a pair of Omnioculars.

"Fair enough," Ron said, grinning.

"Thanks, Harry!" Lucy and Hermione said at the same time. Hermione added, "I'll get us some programs, look—" She bought four programs from the next cart, and then they decided to head back to their tents to meet up with the others.

Everyone except Fred and George had some kind of souvenir.

"Here, boys," Lucy said, handing over the two green rosettes that she had bought for them, knowing that they'd given Bagman all their money.

"Thanks, Lu," Fred said, grinning, and George hugged her, also saying his thanks.

There was a loud gonging sound that echoed around the campsite, and a bunch of green and red lanterns lit up a path through the trees of the nearby wood.

"It's time!" Mr. Weasley announced, glancing at his watch. "Come on! Let's go!"

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: Hermione is on to Lucy about who she fancies... lol**_

_**There's a brief mention of other Wizarding schools in here, as well. I decided that Lucy was going to be a bit more knowledgeable about other Wizarding schools, because it's an area about Wizarding society that Ron isn't as savvy about.**_

_**And I liked the idea that Lucy bought Fred and George some of the rosettes, because nobody else was nice enough to get them any souvenirs, and it just seems like something that fits her character.**_

_**The Quidditch match is next!**_


	4. 4: Best Game in the World

_**A/N: Happy belated Easter! I hope you had a lovely weekend.**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 4 – Best Game in the World**

Mr. Weasley led the way through the wood, and the other seven Weasleys, Lucy, Harry, and Hermione followed closely. There was singing and chanting going on all around them. Lucy was excited; she'd never been to a professional Quidditch match before, much less an international championship game.

After a short walk, they found themselves facing the entrance to the giant stadium.

"Seats a hundred thousand," Mr. Weasley reported, grinning at the looks of disbelief on the kids' faces. "Ministry task force of five hundred have been working on it all year. Muggle Repelling Charms on every inch of it. Every time Muggles have got anywhere near here all year, they've suddenly remembered urgent appointments and had to dash away again… bless them."

"This is _incredible_," Lucy said, her eyes wide as she scanned the outside of the stadium.

When they reached the entrance gate, Mr. Weasley handed their tickets over to a witch who was checking them.

"Prime seats!" she exclaimed after she counted the tickets. "Top Box! Straight upstairs, Arthur, and as high as you can go."

They began the walk up to the top of the stadium. The crowd thinned the higher they climbed as people around them found their seats.

When they reached the top of the stairs, they entered the Top Box to find a couple of rows of chairs.

"We're in the front row," Mr. Weasley said as the rest of the group filed in.

Everyone sat and gazed out across the stadium in awe. Lucy took her seat with George to her right and Hermione to her left. She looked around, watching the stadium continuing to fill. The box was situated right in between the two sets of goal posts. Across the field from them was a tall board with gold lettering advertising things like broomsticks, cleaning products, and candy.

"_Dobby_?" Harry exclaimed suddenly.

Lucy, Ron, and Hermione turned to see what Harry was looking at.

At the end of the row behind them sat a house-elf with its hands over its eyes. It was peeking through its fingers, looking at Harry. "Did sir just call me Dobby?" it asked in a high-pitched voice.

"Sorry," Harry apologized, "I just thought you were someone I knew."

"But I knows Dobby, too, sir!" the house-elf said. "My name is Winky, sir—and you, sir—" Winky's eyes widened as she looked at Harry's forehead. "You is surely Harry Potter!"

"Yeah, I am," Harry responded.

"But Dobby talks of you all the time, sir!" Winky told him, lowering her hands a bit.

"How is he?" Harry asked earnestly. "How's freedom suiting him?"

"Ah, sir," Winky said, "ah, sir—meaning no disrespect, sir—but I is not sure you did Dobby a favor, sir, when you is setting him free."

"Why?" Harry asked. "What's wrong with him?"

"Freedom is going to Dobby's head, sir," Winky explained. "Ideas above his station, sir. Can't get another position, sir."

"Why not?" Harry questioned, sounding confused.

"_He is wanting paying for his work, sir_," Winky whispered, looking horrified.

"Paying?" Harry echoed. "Well—why shouldn't he be paid?"

"House-elves is not paid, sir!" Winky squeaked. "No, no, no. I says to Dobby, I says, go find yourself a nice family and settle down, Dobby. He is getting up to all sorts of high jinks, sir, what is unbecoming to a house-elf. You goes racketing around like this, Dobby, I says, and next thing I hear, you's up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures like some common goblin."

"Well, it's about time he had a bit of fun," Harry said.

"House-elves is not supposed to have fun, Harry Potter," Winky stated. "House-elves does what they is told. I is not liking heights at all, Harry Potter, but my master sends me to the Top Box, so I comes, sir."

"Why's he sent you up here, if he knows you don't like heights?" Harry asked.

"Master—master wants me to save him a seat, Harry Potter," Winky replied. "He is very busy. Winky is wishing she is back in my master's tent, Harry Potter, but Winky does what she is told. Winky is a good house-elf."

She buried her face back in her hands, ending the conversation, and Harry turned back to face the field again.

"So, that's a house-elf?" Ron asked. "Weird things, aren't they?"

"Dobby was weirder," Harry said.

Ron shrugged and pulled out his Omnioculars. "Wild!" he exclaimed as he scanned the crowd with them. "I can make that old bloke down there pick his nose again—and again—and again—"

"_A display from the team mascots with precede the match_," Hermione read, flipping through her program.

"Oh, that's always worth watching," Mr. Weasley told them. "National teams bring creatures from their native land, you know, to put on a bit of a show."

"Can't help showing off?" Lucy asked, giggling, and Mr. Weasley nodded.

**~LJ:D~**

The box slowly began to fill, and Mr. Weasley took it upon himself to introduce everyone. Percy also continually jumped up to greet the various Ministry workers who were joining them in the box. The Minister of Magic Cornelius Fudge eventually joined them, and Percy bowed so low that his glasses fell off his face. With his brothers sniggering at him, he snatched his broken glasses up, repaired them with his wand, and remained in his chair from then on.

"Ah, Harry!" Fudge said, holding his hand out to Harry. "How are you, m'boy?"

Harry shook his hand. "I'm doing well, sir," he replied politely.

"This is the Bulgarian minister," Fudge introduced him to the man he was with. He turned to the Bulgarian minister and said, "Harry Potter, you know. _Harry Potter._… Oh, come on, now. You _know_ who he is—the boy who survived You-Know-Who.… You _do_ know who he is.…"

The Bulgarian minister pointed at Harry's forehead and started to speak very quickly in his native tongue.

"Knew we'd get there in the end," Fudge sighed. "I'm no great shakes at languages; I need Barty Crouch for this sort of thing. Ah, I see his house-elf's saving him a seat.… Good job, too. These Bulgarian blighters have been trying to cadge all the best places.… Ah, and here's Lucius!"

Lucy turned to see Lucius Malfoy with a woman who must have been his wife and his son Draco, who was a fourth-year Slytherin.

"Ah, Fudge," Mr. Malfoy said when he reached the minister, holding his hand out for a shake. "I don't think you've met my wife, Narcissa? Or our son, Draco?"

"How do you do? How do you do?" Fudge said, smiling at the Malfoys. "Allow me to introduce you to Mr. Oblansk—Obalonsk—Mr.—well, he's the Bulgarian Minister of Magic, and he can't understand a word I'm saying anyway—so, never mind. Let's see who else—you know Arthur Weasley, I daresay?"

Mr. Malfoy looked over at Mr. Weasley, his eyes full of judgment, and said, "Good lord, Arthur. What did you have to sell to get seats in the Top Box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"

Lucy glared at him.

"Lucius has just given a _very_ generous contribution to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries, Arthur," Fudge explained, either not having heard or choosing to ignore what Mr. Malfoy had said. "He's here as my guest."

"How—how nice," Mr. Weasley said, gritting his teeth.

Mr. Malfoy simply looked up and down the row, his eyes pausing on Hermione to sneer at her, before he nodded and led his family to some empty seats.

Lucy looked at Hermione and murmured, "Are you okay?"

"Yes," Hermione replied. "The Malfoys—they're just bullies." Mr. Malfoy had looked at Hermione as though she was scum of the earth, all because she was a Muggleborn; both of her parents were Muggles.

"Slimy gits," Ron added in an undertone.

"How _convenient_ that Lucius Malfoy just _happened_ to donate a large amount of money to St. Mungo's right before the World Cup," Lucy muttered to George, who chuckled darkly.

"How am I not surprised?" he shot back.

Then Ludo Bagman entered the Top Box, his Quidditch robes billowing around him. "Everyone ready?" he asked, looking as though he'd just woken up on Christmas morning. "Minister—ready to go?"

"Ready when you are, Ludo," Fudge responded, sitting back in his chair.

Bagman pulled his wand out and pointed it at his own throat. "_Sonorus_!" he said. "Ladies and gentlemen… welcome!" His voice echoed loudly over the crowd as he began his commentating. "Welcome to the final of the four hundred and twenty-second Quidditch World Cup!"

The crowd screamed and cheered, and the board across the field from the Top Box was changed to show the score as zero to zero.

"Now, without further ado, allow me to introduce… the Bulgarian National Team Mascots!" Bagman announced.

The Bulgarian supporters cheered loudly.

"I wonder what they've brought," Mr. Weasley said, looking out onto the field. "Aaah! _Veela_!"

"What are veela?" Lucy asked. She looked down at the field with her Omnioculars to see a large group of what looked like women taking their place on the field. They were very beautiful, Lucy had to admit.

Then they began to dance. It was a very impressive dance, but when Lucy glanced around, she noticed that most of the men were acting very strangely. She watched in confusion as Harry stood up out of his seat and looked as though he were about to jump out of the box.

"Harry, what _are_ you doing?" Hermione asked as the music came to a stop.

Harry blinked and looked at Hermione. The crowd in the stadium were voicing their displeasure at the veela stopping. Ron began to pull the shamrocks off his dancing hat, and Mr. Weasley took the hat away from him.

"You'll be wanting that once Ireland have had their say," he assured his son.

"Huh?" Ron asked, staring at the veela and not paying attention to Mr. Weasley.

Hermione, meanwhile, tugged Harry back into his seat.

"Now, kindly put your wands in the air for… the Irish National Team Mascots!" Bagman said.

Many green and gold lights flew across the sky. A rainbow appeared for a few moments, and then the green and gold lights formed together to make a floating shamrock. The shamrock began to fly over the crowd, and something that looked like gold rain was falling from it.

"Excellent!" Ron exclaimed as the shamrock reached them.

The gold rain was a steady fall of gold coins. Lucy looked up at the shamrock and saw that the gold and green lights were really a group of little men flying together.

"Leprechauns!" Mr. Weasley shouted.

"There you go," Ron said to Harry, pushing some of the coins into Harry's hands. "For the Omnioculars! Now you've got to buy me a Christmas present, ha!"

The leprechauns, finished with their performance, floated down to the field and sat on the grass below the Irish goal posts. The veela were already sitting beneath the Bulgarian ones.

"Now, ladies and gentlemen," Bagman continued, "kindly welcome—the Bulgarian National Quidditch Team! I give you—Dimitrov! Ivanova! Zograf! Levski! Vulchanov! Volkov! Aaaaand—_Krum_!"

One by one, the Bulgarian players flew out as their name was called.

"That's him! That's him!" Ron shouted, using his Omnioculars to follow Krum around the field.

"Now," Bagman said, "please greet—the Irish National Quidditch Team! Presenting—Connolly! Ryan! Troy! Mullet! Moran! Quigley! Aaaaand—_Lynch_!"

Like the Bulgarians, the Irish team flew out as their names were announced.

"And here, all the way from Egypt, our referee—acclaimed Chairwizard of the International Association of Quidditch—Hasan Mostafa!"

Lucy watched as the referee marched out to midfield, carrying the crate with the Quidditch balls and his broom. He opened the crate, and the four balls flew out of it. Then he blew his whistle and shot off into the air.

"Theeeeeey're off!" Bagman yelled. "It's Mullet! Troy! Moran! Dimitrov! Back to Mullet! Troy! Levski! Moran!"

The Chasers were moving the Quaffle so quickly that Bagman only had time to say their names. Lucy knew that her mouth was open in awe at the speed of the game, but she didn't bother to close it.

"TROY SCORES!" Bagman announced a few minutes into the game. "Ten zero to Ireland!"

The Irish supporters screamed for their team.

"What?" Harry cried, his Omnioculars pressed up to his eyes. "But Levksi's got the Quaffle!"

"Harry, if you're not going to watch at normal speed, you're going to miss things!" Hermione said as she and Lucy hopped up and down in celebration.

The game continued at its high-speed play, and Ireland scored twice more in the next ten minutes. Every time there was a score, the speed of the game increased a little bit.

Eventually, Bulgaria was able to score their first goal.

"Fingers in your ears!" Mr. Weasley called to the boys, who did as they were told, and Lucy saw the veela stand up and do a little dance by their goal posts.

When the veela stopped, Bulgaria had taken possession of the Quaffle again.

"Dimitrov! Levski! Dimitrov! Ivanova—oh, I say!" Bagman shouted.

All attention went to the two Seekers, who were diving at breakneck speed towards the ground.

"They're going to crash!" Hermione said anxiously.

At the last second, however, Krum pulled out of the dive. Lynch was not so lucky, and Lucy winced as he smashed into the ground. The Irish supporters moaned.

"Fool!" Mr. Weasley said. "Krum was feinting!"

"It's time-out!" Bagman said. "Trained mediwizards hurry onto the field to examine Aiden Lynch!"

"He'll be okay," Charlie said to Ginny, who looked upset. "He only got ploughed! Which is what Krum was after, of course.…"

"What do you mean?" Lucy asked Charlie.

"He wanted to make some time to search for the Snitch while Lynch couldn't," Charlie explained. "It's sort of a dirty strategy, but it gives him a bit of an advantage."

Soon, Lynch was getting to his feet, and the Irish fans all cheered for him. He got back onto his broom and flew off again. Mostafa blew his whistle, and play resumed.

The Irish team seemed reinvigorated, playing that much harder than before. Fifteen more minutes went by, and they scored ten goals, making the score one hundred and thirty to ten.

When Ireland regained control of the Quaffle again, the Bulgarian Keeper flew out to meet the Irish Chaser, and Mostafa let out a shrill tweet on his whistle.

"Mostafa takes the Bulgarian Keeper to task for cobbing," Bagman explained. "Excessive use of elbows! And—yes, it's a penalty to Ireland!"

George pointed to the Irish goal posts, and Lucy looked over to see that the leprechauns had formed the words _HA HA HA_ in midair. The veela across the field countered by standing up and beginning to dance. All the boys covered their ears.

A moment later, Hermione tugged on Lucy's arm. "Look at the referee!" she giggled, pointing down at the field.

Lucy looked to see that Mostafa had landed in front of the veela. It seemed as though he was trying to impress them.

"Now, we can't have that!" Bagman chuckled. "Somebody slap the referee!"

One of the mediwizards ran out onto the field, his hands over his ears, and kicked Mostafa in the shin. Mostafa shook himself out of it, and he began to shout at the veela, who stopped dancing and looked very angry.

"Unless I'm much mistaken, Mostafa is actually attempting to send off the Bulgarian team mascots!" Bagman cried. "Now _there's_ something we haven't seen before.… Oh, this could turn nasty—"

The Bulgarian Beaters landed next to Mostafa. They were arguing quite animatedly, and they were pointing back at the leprechauns, who were now forming the words _HEE HEE HEE_. Mostafa pointed into the air, telling the Beaters to get back to the game, but they refused. So, Mostafa blew his whistle twice.

"_Two_ penalties for Ireland!" Bagman said. "Volkov and Vulchanov had better get back on those brooms—yes—there they go… and Troy takes the Quaffle.…"

Play resumed, and it was as brutal as ever. The Bulgarian Beaters were ferociously swinging their bats at everything that came near them.

Ireland took possession of the Quaffle, and one of the Bulgarian Chasers rocketed towards the Irish Chaser, almost knocking her off her broom. The Irish supporters were screaming for a foul.

"Foul!" Bagman called. "Dimitrov skins Moran—deliberately flying to collide there—and it's got to be another penalty—yes, there's the whistle!"

The leprechauns jumped up to form a rude gesture at the veela, who retaliated by running across the field and throwing fire at the leprechauns.

"_That_, boys, is why you should never go for looks alone!" Mr. Weasley announced.

Wizards swarmed the field, attempting to separate the mascots, while play continued above.

"Levski—Dimitrov—Moran—Troy—Mullet—Ivanova—Moran again—Moran—MORAN SCORES!" Bagman shouted.

The Irish fans cheered, the Bulgarian fans booed, and the wizards on the ground were now using their wands to try separating the mascots.

Meanwhile, Bulgaria received control of the Quaffle. One of the Irish Beaters sent a Bludger flying, and it hit Krum square in the face. Mostafa didn't blow his whistle, however; he was too busy trying to put out the fire on the tail of his broom.

"Time-out!" Ron yelled, looking upset that Krum had been hit in the face. "Ah, come on, he can't play like that! Look at him—"

"_Look at Lynch_!" Harry cried.

The Irish Seeker had gone into a dive again.

"He's seen the Snitch!" Harry yelled. "He's seen it! Look at him go!"

The Irish supporters were screaming, and Krum was quick to follow him into the dive.

"They're going to crash!" Hermione screamed again.

"They're not!" Lucy and Ron said at the same time, watching with apprehension.

"Lynch is!" Harry shouted.

A second later, Harry was proven correct. Lynch had crashed into the ground once again, while Krum pulled out of the dive.

"The Snitch! Where's the Snitch?" Charlie yelled.

"He's got it—Krum's got it—it's all over!" Harry roared.

The scoreboard across from them flashed the final score of one hundred and sixty to one hundred and seventy; Ireland had won! As more of the crowd realized what had happened, the sound level in the stadium increased to an almost earsplitting cry of joy from the Irish fans.

"IRELAND WINS!" Bagman shouted. "KRUM GETS THE SNITCH—BUT IRELAND WINS—good lord, I don't think any of us were expecting that!"

"What did he catch the Snitch for?" Ron asked incredulously. "He ended it when Ireland were a hundred and sixty points ahead, the idiot!"

"He knew they were never going to catch up!" Harry answered. "The Irish Chasers were too good.… He wanted to end it on his terms, that's all.…"

"He was very brave, wasn't he?" Hermione said, watching as Krum landed. "He looks a terrible mess.…"

"What a match!" Lucy shouted, exchanging grins with George next to her.

"Vell, ve fought bravely," a voice from behind them said.

They all turned to see the Bulgarian Minister of Magic shaking his head gloomily.

"You can speak English!" Fudge said. "But you've been letting me mime everything all day!"

"Vell, it vos very funny," the Bulgarian minister chuckled.

"As the Irish team performs a lap of honor, flanked by their mascots, the Quidditch World Cup itself is brought into the Top Box!" Bagman continued his commentary.

The entire box around them lit up with a very bright white light. Two wizards had arrived with the cup, which they handed over to Fudge.

"Let's have a really loud hand for the gallant losers—Bulgaria!" Bagman said.

Suddenly, the Bulgarian team was filing into the Top Box, and there were cries of support from around the stadium. Bagman announced the names of the players, and they took turns shaking hands with the Bulgarian minister and Fudge. Krum was still holding onto the Snitch.

The Irish team came in next, and after their names were announced, they were presented with the cup. Two of the players lifted the cup above their heads, and the crowd was bellowing their praises. Then they marched out of the box and took to their brooms again, flying around the stadium once more.

Bagman pointed his wand at his throat and said, "_Quietus_."

"They'll be talking about this one for years," he said to the guests in the box. "A really unexpected twist, that.… Shame it couldn't have gone on longer.… Ah, yes—yes, I owe you—how much?"

Fred and George had hurried over to Bagman, wearing their identical grins and holding their hands out for their winnings.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: So the next chapter is the shortest one in this story, and one of the shortest ones in the entire series. I could have added it to the end of this one, but I feel like the events of the next chapter are important enough that they shouldn't be mixed up with the match.**_


	5. 5: The Night is Ruined

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 5 – The Night is Ruined**

"_Don't_ tell your mother you've been gambling," was the first thing Mr. Weasley said as they began their descent from the Top Box.

"Don't worry, Dad," Fred said. "We've got big plans for this money. We don't want it confiscated."

Mr. Weasley shook his head, deciding it was better to not ask what the boys' plans were, and led the way back to the tents.

On the way back to their camp, they heard loud singing and chanting throughout the stadium and the wood. The leprechauns were still flying about the area, celebrating. Lucy, Ginny, and the Weasley twins joined in with the chanting as they walked along the path through the trees.

When they reached their tents, Mr. Weasley allowed them all to have a cup of hot chocolate in the boys' tent before they went to bed. The only conversations were about the match, and they went on for quite a while.

Finally, Ginny fell asleep with her head on the table, knocking her mug to the floor.

"It's time for bed," Mr. Weasley said firmly.

Lucy and Hermione shook Ginny awake, and the three of them left for their own tent. They changed into their pajamas and crawled into their beds, sleepily saying good night to one another before drifting off.

**~LJ:D~**

Lucy felt as though she'd been asleep for only a few moments when an urgent voice woke her up.

"Ginny!" It was Mr. Weasley, looking anxious. "Lucy! Hermione! Wake up, girls—you need to get up. This is important—"

Lucy sat up, noticing that it wasn't yet morning. She could hear yells and screams coming from outside, a strong contrast to the celebratory singing she'd been listening to when she'd gone to sleep.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked in a frightened voice.

"Just grab your jackets and come outside," Mr. Weasley instructed.

The girls jumped out of their beds, grabbed their jackets, slipped into their shoes, and let Mr. Weasley lead them from the tent.

"Oh!" Hermione squealed, pointing ahead of them.

There was a group of people marching along the campsite, their hoods up and their faces masked. Above them were four figures—four _people_—floating high above the crowd. The masked group was blasting tents out of their way, causing major destruction in their path.

Lucy, Hermione, and Ginny joined Harry, Ron, Fred, and George, who were also in their pajamas and jackets. Bill, Charlie, and Percy emerged from the boys' tent, fully dressed and with their wands out.

"We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr. Weasley explained hurriedly. "You lot—get into the woods and _stick together_. I'll come and fetch you when we've sorted this out!" He turned and followed his other sons, who were already running towards the masked people.

"C'mon," Fred said, grabbing Ginny's hand.

Lucy felt George take her hand, and they all hurried into the trees.

When they had reached the woods, they turned back to look at the group of wizards who were causing all the trouble. Then George tugged on Lucy's hand, and they continued into the trees with the rest of the crowd.

Lucy was glad that she was holding hands with George; the crowd was full of frantic people who were pushing and shoving past one another. It would have been all too easy to get lost amongst them.

After a few minutes of fast walking, Lucy and George stepped off the path and stopped to catch their breath. Lucy let go of George's hand and looked around them: Fred and Ginny were there, but Harry, Ron, and Hermione were nowhere to be seen.

"Hermione?" Lucy called out. "Harry! Ron!"

"They must have gotten separated from us when we were in the crowd," George said.

"Do you think they're all right?" Ginny asked nervously.

"I'm sure they'll be fine," Fred reassured his little sister. "If we stay here, they might catch up with us. Dad told us to stay in the woods, after all."

"Who were those masked people?" Lucy asked. "And who were the people in the air?"

"You didn't recognize the man?" George asked.

Lucy shook her head. "I never got a good enough look," she said.

"That was Mr. Roberts, our campsite manager," George said. "There was a woman and two children, too—probably his wife and kids.…"

Lucy's mouth fell open. "But—_why_ would someone want to do that to those poor people?" she asked.

"They're Muggles," Fred answered, scowling. "There are some people—a lot of people, actually—who think that wizards are superior, and that Muggles are scum. They probably think this is one big laugh."

"That's horrible," Lucy said, shaking her head.

"It doesn't help that they've probably been drinking," George added.

"Will the Ministry be able to get them down without hurting them?" Ginny asked in a hoarse whisper.

"I'm sure they'll find a way," Fred said, patting his sister's shoulder.

The four of them took a seat on a fallen log. There were still panicked voices and movement all around them.

_"Lucy!"_ a voice shouted above all the other noise.

Lucy turned her head sharply and saw Jeremy sprinting down the path towards her. She stood up from the log, and Jeremy practically crashed into her, pulling her into a tight hug. One of his hands cradled the back of her head, and she pressed her face into his shoulder, her hands automatically coming up to grab the front of his shirt.

"You're all right," he breathed into her hair.

"Of course I am," Lucy replied. The warmth of his body immediately comforted her, and she nearly whined when he let her go. She reluctantly released his shirt.

Jeremy looked around at who she was with. "Where are Harry, Hermione, and Ron?" he asked.

"We got separated when we got into the woods," Lucy answered. She noticed that Jeremy looked very anxious. "Are you all right?" she asked.

"I-I'm fine," he said, avoiding her gaze but taking one of her hands in his. He entwined his fingers with hers. "I'm just glad you're safe—"

Suddenly, Ginny gasped and pointed up. Lucy whirled around, tightening her grip on Jeremy's hand, to see what the younger girl was staring at. High above the trees, a giant, green, smoky figure was forming in the sky. It took Lucy a few seconds to realize that it was a skull with a snake coming out of its mouth.

"What _is_ that?" she asked aloud.

But just as the words were out of her mouth, the people around them erupted into screams. Lucy watched in alarm as people started to thunder back down the path towards the campsite.

"_Shit_," she heard Jeremy breathe from beside her before he ripped his hand from hers.

"Jeremy?" Lucy called, but he was suddenly gone. Her heart sunk, both disappointed that he'd run from her and concerned about what was making him act so strangely.

"Come on," Fred said, taking hold of Ginny's hand again. "We need to get out of here."

"What about those people levitating the Muggles?" Lucy asked as George grabbed her hand and pulled her forward.

"Well, everyone else is running _out_ of the woods," George said. "If they're more scared of that thing in the sky, I think I'd rather follow them."

When they got to the edge of the woods, however, they saw that the masked people had all disappeared. There was a small group of Ministry workers who were crowded around Mr. Roberts and his family, all of whom had made it back to the ground. People were flooding back into the campsite and fleeing directly to their tents.

"Fred! George!" Charlie was hurrying towards them. "Ginny! Lucy! Thank Merlin you're all okay. Where are the other three?"

"We're not sure," Fred said. "We got separated. Is everyone okay here?"

"Yeah," Charlie replied. "Bill and Percy are back at the tent. C'mon."

"Where's Dad?" Ginny asked as they followed Charlie back to the Weasleys' tent.

"He went with some of the others to see if they could find the person who conjured that mark," Charlie replied. He ushered the four of them into the tent.

Inside, Percy was holding a bloody nose, and Bill was wrapping a sheet around a gash on his arm.

"Are you two all right?" Lucy asked in alarm.

"Yeah, no big deal," Bill said, waving her off. "Nothing we can't handle." Ginny, however, looked terrified, and Bill added firmly, "Gin, I promise, we're all right."

"What happened to the masked people?" Fred asked.

"They Disapparated as soon as the mark went into the sky," Bill answered.

"What _is_ that thing?" Lucy asked.

"It's the Dark Mark," Charlie said quietly. "You-Know-Who used it back when he was in power. He or his followers would send it into the sky whenever they would kill anyone."

"Do you think that—that someone was murdered?" Lucy asked, her stomach dropping and goose bumps prickling over her arms. "Here in the woods tonight?"

"We have no idea yet," Bill said. "That's why Dad and the others went to try and find whoever conjured it."

There was silence after that. Charlie kept watch for Mr. Weasley or Harry, Ron, and Hermione while everyone else sat in the tent, not saying much.

Lucy couldn't help but wonder what had happened to Jeremy. He had seemed much more freaked out about the masked people in the campsite than she had expected him to be. She didn't understand why he had seemed so anxious or why he'd run away from her when the mark went into the sky. She could only hope that he'd gotten back to his tent safely.

**~LJ:D~**

At long last, Charlie yelled through the tent opening, "Dad, what's going on? Fred, George, Ginny, and Lucy got back okay, but the others—"

"I've got them here," Mr. Weasley's voice called back.

Lucy felt an immediately wave of relief. A few moments later, Mr. Weasley had entered the tent with Harry, Ron, and Hermione following him. Lucy jumped up and hugged each of her friends, glad that they were safe.

"Did you get them, Dad?" Bill asked. "The person who conjured the mark?"

"No," Mr. Weasley replied heavily. "We found Barty Crouch's elf holding Harry's wand, but we're none the wiser about who actually conjured the mark."

"_What?_" Bill, Charlie, and Percy said.

"Harry's wand?" Fred said.

"_Mr. Crouch's elf_?" Percy asked.

Mr. Weasley began to tell them what happened in the woods, with help from Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry had lost his wand when he entered the wood. He, Ron, and Hermione had wandered into an empty clearing, and there they heard the mark being conjured very close to them. The Ministry wizards appeared and sent Stunners at them, but they ended up missing because Harry, Ron, and Hermione had ducked. Then they found Winky—who had been hit by the Stunners that had missed Harry, Ron, and Hermione—holding Harry's wand. Crouch fired his elf, and they let Harry, Ron, and Hermione leave with Mr. Weasley.

"Well, Mr. Crouch is quite right to get rid of an elf like that!" Percy said at once. "Running away when he expressly told her not to—embarrassing him in front of the whole Ministry—how would that have looked, if she'd been brought up in front of the Department for the Regulation and Control—?"

"She didn't do anything—she was just in the wrong place at the wrong time!" Hermione stormed at him.

Everyone looked at her in bewilderment, surprised at her ferocity.

"Hermione, a wizard in Mr. Crouch's position can't afford a house-elf who's going to run amok with a wand!" Percy countered.

"She didn't run amok!" Hermione yelled. "She just picked it up off the ground!"

"Honestly, what's wrong with you?" Lucy asked, narrowing her eyes at Percy. "That poor elf was escaping from those masked people, and you think Crouch was okay to fire her?"

"Of course he was! She disobeyed him!" Percy cried.

"It sounds like she was just acting on instinct, trying to save her own life," Lucy said. "Like Crouch needs his ego stroked more than it already is," she added under her breath.

Percy was looking between Lucy and Hermione as though he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Look, can someone just explain what that skull thing was?" Ron cut in. "It wasn't hurting anyone.… Why's it such a big deal?"

"I _told_ you, Ron. It's You-Know-Who's symbol," Hermione answered immediately. "I read about it in _The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts_."

"And it hasn't been seen for thirteen years," Mr. Weasley added. "Of _course_ people panicked.… It was almost like seeing You-Know-Who back again."

"I don't get it," Ron said. "I mean… it's still only a shape in the sky—"

"Ron, You-Know-Who and his followers sent the Dark Mark into the air whenever they killed," Mr. Weasley explained. "The terror it inspired—you have no idea. You're too young. Just picture coming home and finding the Dark Mark hovering over your house and knowing what you're about to find inside.… Everyone's worst fear—the very worst…"

There was a moment of silence.

"Well, it didn't help us tonight, whoever conjured it," Bill said. "It scared the Death Eaters away the moment they saw it. They all Disapparated before we'd gotten near enough to unmask any of them. We caught the Robertses before they hit the ground, though. They're having their memories modified right now."

"Death Eaters?" Harry repeated. "What are Death Eaters?"

"It's what You-Know-Who's supporters called themselves," Bill answered. "I think we saw what's left of them tonight—the ones who managed to keep themselves out of Azkaban, anyway."

"We can't prove it was them, Bill," Mr. Weasley said. There was a pause, and he added, "Though it probably was."

"Yeah, I bet it was!" Ron exclaimed. "Dad, we met Draco Malfoy in the woods, and he as good as told us his dad was one of the nutters in the masks! We all know the Malfoys were right in with You-Know-Who!"

"But what were Voldemort's supporters—?" Harry started, but everyone flinched at the mention of the name. "Sorry," Harry said. "What were You-Know-Who's supporters up to, levitating Muggles? I mean, what was the point?"

"The point?" Mr. Weasley echoed, chuckling humorlessly. "Harry, that's their idea of _fun_. Half the Muggle killings back when You-Know-Who was in power were done for fun. I suppose they had a few drinks tonight and couldn't resist reminding us all that lots of them are still at large. A nice little reunion for them."

"That's disgusting," Lucy said.

"But if they _were_ Death Eaters, why did they Disapparate when they saw the Dark Mark?" Ron asked. "They'd have been pleased to see it, wouldn't they?"

"Use your brains, Ron," Bill replied. "If they really were Death Eaters, they worked very hard to keep out of Azkaban when You-Know-Who lost power. They told all sorts of lies about him forcing them to kill and torture people. I bet they'd be even more frightened than the rest of us to see him come back. They denied they'd ever been involved with him when he lost his powers and went back to their daily lives.… I don't reckon he'd be overly pleased with them, do you?"

"So… whoever conjured the Dark Mark…" Hermione began, "were they doing it to show support for the Death Eaters, or to scare them away?"

"Your guess is as good as ours, Hermione," Mr. Weasley said. "But I'll tell you this… it was only the Death Eaters who ever knew how to conjure it. I'd be very surprised if the person who did it hadn't been a Death Eater once, even if they're not now.…"

There was silence again.

"Listen, it's very late," Mr. Weasley spoke up, "and if your mother hears what's happened, she'll be worried sick. We'll get a few more hours sleep and then try and get an early Portkey out of here."

Lucy, Hermione, and Ginny went back to the girls' tent once again.

"I wonder how many people will be trying to get Portkeys out of here in the morning," Hermione said as the three girls settled into their beds.

"I'm sure whoever could Apparate already has," Lucy said. Ginny shuddered in her bed, looking quite pale, and Lucy told her, "It's okay, Ginny. Just try and get some sleep."

The girls said good night to one another, and Lucy rolled over in her bed, looking at the entrance to the tent. The events of the night had definitely shaken her up, especially her encounter with Jeremy. She couldn't help but listen to every noise happening outside of the tent. It took quite a while, but she eventually fell into an uneasy sleep.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: This chapter is intense, and I hope I portrayed that well.**_

_**It's also one of the first times I have Lucy separated from the trio. That made it difficult to write at first, but it needed to be done. I wanted to show that Lucy isn't always hanging around with the other three.**_

_**The interaction with Jeremy was something that was added in late. Him being able to find her among a hundred thousand people might be a little bit unbelievable, but I felt like it was important that Lucy saw him at that moment. It's an important moment for his character.**_


	6. 6: End of the Summer

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 6 – End of the Summer**

Mr. Weasley was true to his word, and he woke the girls up only a few hours after they had gone back to bed. They sleepily changed out of their pajamas and packed their things into their bags.

When everyone was ready to go, Mr. Weasley waved his wand to pack up the tents, and then he led the way out of the campsite. They passed Mr. Roberts standing outside his cottage at the entrance to the field.

"Merry Christmas," he said, waving at them.

Lucy looked over at Mr. Weasley in alarm.

"He'll be all right," Mr. Weasley assured everyone. "Sometimes when a person's memory's modified, it makes him a bit disoriented for a while… and that was a big thing they had to make him forget."

When they reached the Portkey spot, they found a large group of people trying to get away as soon as possible. The wizard in charge looked very frazzled. Mr. Weasley exchanged a few words with him, and they lined up behind the others.

The line was moving surprisingly quickly, and they were soon able to huddle around an old tire to get back to Stoatshead Hill. They arrived at their destination as the sun began to rise.

**~LJ:D~**

The walk back to the Burrow was quiet. They made their way quickly through the village and down the road that led to the Weasleys' house.

As they came around a bend, the Burrow came into sight, and a voice yelled to them from down the road.

"Oh, thank goodness! Thank goodness!" Mrs. Weasley was rushing towards them, the _Daily Prophet_ in her hand. When she reached them, she threw her arms around her husband's neck. The paper fell to the ground and landed face up, showing the headline—which read _SCENES OF TERROR AT THE QUIDDITCH WORLD CUP_—and a photo of the Dark Mark in the sky.

"You're all right," Mrs. Weasley sniffled, letting go of her husband. She looked around at all of them with a relieved expression on her face. "You're alive.… Oh, _boys._…" She grabbed the twins and pulled them so close together in a hug that they knocked heads.

"_Ouch_!" Fred cried. "Mum—you're strangling us—"

"I shouted at you before you left!" Mrs. Weasley cried. "It's all I've been thinking about! What if You-Know-Who had got you, and the last thing I ever said to you was that you didn't get enough O.W.L.s? Oh, Fred—George—"

"Come on, now, Molly. We're all perfectly okay," Mr. Weasley said gently, easing Mrs. Weasley away from Fred and George. "Bill," he added quietly, "pick up that paper. I want to see what it says.…"

They all trooped into the house and crowded around the kitchen table. Mr. Weasley made Mrs. Weasley sit down, and Lucy hurried to make a pot of tea for everyone. When it was ready, she set the first cup in front of Mrs. Weasley, but before she could drink it, Mr. Weasley grabbed it and poured a bit of Ogden's Old Firewhiskey into it. Lucy handed out a couple more cups to those who wanted any, and Mr. Weasley began to scan the article on the front page.

"I knew it," he sighed as he read. "_Ministry blunders… culprits not apprehended… lax security… Dark wizards running unchecked… national disgrace—_Who wrote this? Ah—of course—Rita Skeeter."

"That woman's got it in for the Ministry of Magic!" Percy said scathingly. "Last week she was saying we're wasting our time quibbling about cauldron thickness when we should be stamping out vampires! As if it wasn't _specifically_ stated in paragraph twelve of the Guidelines for the Treatment of Non-Wizard Part-Humans—"

"Do us a favor, Perce," Bill interrupted, "and shut up."

"I'm mentioned," Mr. Weasley said, sounding surprised.

"Where?" Mrs. Weasley cried. "If I'd seen that, I'd have known you were alive!"

"Not by name," Mr. Weasley answered. "Listen to this."

_If the terrified wizards and witches who waited breathlessly for news at the edge of the wood expected reassurance from the Ministry of Magic, they were sadly disappointed. A Ministry official emerged some time after the appearance of the Dark Mark, alleging that nobody had been hurt but refusing to give any more information. Whether this statement will be enough to quash the rumors that several bodies were removed from the woods an hour later, remains to be seen_.

"Oh, really," Mr. Weasley scoffed. "Nobody _was _hurt. What was I supposed to say? _Rumors that several bodies were removed from the woods—_well, there certainly will be rumors now she's printed _that_." He took a breath and turned to his wife. "Molly, I'm going to have to go into the office; this is going to take some smoothing over."

"I'll come with you, Father," Percy said at once. "Mr. Crouch will need all hands on deck. Then I can give him my cauldron report in person, too." He exited the kitchen and hurried up the stairs.

"Arthur, you're supposed to be on holiday!" Mrs. Weasley insisted, looking crestfallen. "This hasn't got anything to do with your office; surely they can handle this without you?"

"I've got to go, Molly," Mr. Weasley said. "I've made things worse. I'll just change into my robes, and I'll be off.…"

"Mrs. Weasley," Harry spoke up, "Hedwig hasn't arrived with a letter for me, has she?"

"Hedwig?" Mrs. Weasley repeated. "No… no, there hasn't been any post at all."

"All right if I go and dump my stuff in your room, Ron?" Harry asked, looking over at his friend.

"Yeah… think I will, too," Ron said. "Hermione? Lucy?"

"Yes," Hermione said as Lucy nodded.

They all got up and started for the stairs. When they reached Ron's bedroom, they shut the door behind them.

"What's up, Harry?" Ron prompted.

"There's something I haven't told you," Harry admitted. "On Saturday morning, I woke up with my scar hurting again."

Lucy, Ron, and Hermione all looked at him in concern. Hermione immediately suggested telling Dumbledore.

"But—_he_ wasn't there, was he? You-Know-Who?" Ron asked. "I mean—last time your scar kept hurting, he was at Hogwarts, wasn't he?"

"I'm sure he wasn't on Privet Drive," Harry said, "but I was dreaming about him—him and Peter—you know, Wormtail. I can't remember all of it now, but they were plotting to kill… someone."

"It was only a dream," Lucy said soothingly. "Just a nightmare."

"Yeah, but was it, though?" Harry said. "It's weird, isn't it? My scar hurts, and three days later, the Death Eaters are on the march, and Voldemort's sign is up in the sky again."

"_Don't_—_say_—_his_—_name_!" Ron muttered.

"Remember what Professor Trelawney said?" Harry continued. "At the end of last year?"

"Oh, Harry, you aren't going to pay attention to anything that old fraud says, are you?" Hermione scoffed.

"You weren't there," Harry said. "You didn't hear her. This time was different. I told you, she went into a trance—a _real_ one. She said the Dark Lord would rise again—_greater and more terrible than before_—and he'd manage it because his servant was going to go back to him."

"So do you think she told a _real_ prophecy, and now it's starting to come true?" Lucy asked.

"She told me that the _same day_ that Wormtail escaped," Harry replied. "Wormtail was definitely one of Voldemort's servants."

Lucy frowned in thought.

"Why were you asking if Hedwig had come, Harry?" Hermione asked, steering the conversation away from You-Know-Who. "Are you expecting a letter?"

"I told Sirius about my scar," Harry answered. "I'm waiting for his answer."

"Good thinking!" Ron said. "I bet Sirius'll know what to do!"

"I was hoping that he'd get back to me quickly," Harry confessed.

"But we don't know where Sirius is," Hermione pointed out.

"Yeah, he could be in Africa or somewhere, couldn't he?" Lucy said with a shrug. "Hedwig's not going to make _that_ journey in a whole day."

"Yeah, I know," Harry said.

"Come and have a game of Quidditch in the orchard, Harry," Ron suggested. "Come on—three on three. Bill and Charlie and Fred and George will play.… You can try out the Wronski Feint—"

"Ron," Hermione said, "Harry doesn't want to play Quidditch right now.… He's worried, and he's tired.… We all need to go to bed—"

"Yeah, I want to play Quidditch," Harry interrupted. "Hang on; I'll get my Firebolt."

Hermione sighed heavily and marched from the room, muttering under her breath.

"Let me know if you need another player," Lucy told the boys before following Hermione out.

"I can't believe that all this stuff is going on, plus we only had a few hours of sleep last night, and all they want to do is play Quidditch!" Hermione fussed.

"It's okay, Hermione," Lucy said. "Harry feels better when he plays Quidditch; it helps him get his mind off things. They can just go to bed early tonight." Hermione heaved another sigh, and Lucy chuckled. "I'm going to go see how Mrs. Weasley is holding up," she added. "Then I might go watch them play. Maybe they'll need a referee.…"

"I'm going to take a nap," Hermione said. They had reached the first floor and paused at the door to Ginny's room. "I'll see you later."

"Sleep well, 'Mione," Lucy replied.

**~LJ:D~**

There was about a week before Lucy and the others left for Hogwarts. During that week, they hardly saw Mr. Weasley and Percy, as they were going into work so often. Bill and Charlie had remained at the Burrow, taking an extended holiday to spend the time with their family.

Saturday evening—the night before Lucy and the other kids would be going back to Hogwarts—found the family waiting in the living room for Percy and Mr. Weasley to come home. Bill and Ron were playing a game of chess in the corner, while on the floor Ginny was mending one of her school books and Harry was polishing his Firebolt. Lucy and Hermione were sitting on the couch on either side of Charlie, and Fred and George were off to the side, whispering to each other and writing things down on a piece of parchment. Mrs. Weasley sat in the armchair, knitting something with very colorful yarn.

Percy arrived home before his father, and his mother gave him a plate of food and ushered him into a chair in the living room.

"It's been an absolute uproar," Percy reported as he began his dinner. "I've been putting fires out all week. People keep sending Howlers, and of course, if you don't open a Howler straight away, it explodes. There are scorch marks all over my desk, and my best quill was reduced to cinders."

"Why are they all sending Howlers?" Ginny asked.

"Complaining about the security at the World Cup," Percy answered. "They want compensation for their ruined property. Mundungus Fletcher's put in a claim for a twelve-bedroom tent with en-suite Jacuzzi, but I've got his number. I know for a _fact_ he was sleeping under a cloak propped on sticks."

Mrs. Weasley looked over at the clock, which, instead of showing the time, showed where every member of the family was. "Your father hasn't had to go into the office on weekends since the days of You-Know-Who," she explained to them all. "They're working him far too hard. His dinner's going to be ruined if he doesn't come home soon."

"Well, Father feels he's got to make up for his mistake at the match, doesn't he?" Percy said. "If truth be told, he was a tad unwise to make a public statement without clearing it with his Head of Department first—"

"Don't you _dare_ blame your father for what that wretched Skeeter woman wrote!" Mrs. Weasley snapped.

"You make it sound like he can never say anything out loud in public without talking to his Head of Department," Lucy said, frowning.

"If Dad hadn't said anything, old Rita just would have said it was disgraceful that nobody from the Ministry had commented," Bill figured. "Rita Skeeter never makes anyone look good. Remember when she once interviewed all the Gringotts' Charm Breakers and called me _a long-haired pillock_?"

"Well, it _is_ a bit long, dear," Mrs. Weasley said. "If you'd just let me—"

"_No_, Mum," Bill said sharply.

"What are you two up to?" Mrs. Weasley asked abruptly, turning to look at Fred and George.

"Homework," Fred replied.

"Don't be ridiculous," Mrs. Weasley said. "You're still on holiday."

"Yeah, we've left it a bit late," George said.

"You're not by any chance writing out a new _order form_, are you?" Mrs. Weasley asked, eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't be thinking of restarting Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes, by any chance?"

"Now, Mum," Fred said. He turned to look at his mother. "If the Hogwarts Express crashed tomorrow, and George and I died, how would you feel to know that the last thing we ever heard from you was an unfounded accusation?"

Everyone in the room laughed, including Mrs. Weasley.

"Oh!" Mrs. Weasley gasped, looking at the clock again. "Your father's coming!" They heard Mr. Weasley calling from the kitchen a moment later, and Mrs. Weasley said, "Coming, Arthur!" She hurried from the room.

A few minutes later, Mr. Weasley joined them, carrying his dinner on a tray, and he sat in the available armchair. "Well, the fat's _really_ in the fire now," he said as he began his dinner. "Rita Skeeter's been ferreting around all week, looking for more Ministry mess-ups to report. Now she's found out about poor old Bertha going missing, so that'll be the headline in the _Prophet_ tomorrow. I _told_ Bagman he should have sent someone to look for her _ages_ ago."

"Mr. Crouch has been saying it for weeks and weeks," Percy added.

"Crouch is very lucky Rita hasn't found out about Winky," Mr. Weasley said. "There'd be a week's worth of headlines on his house-elf being caught holding the wand that conjured the Dark Mark."

"I thought we were all agreed that the elf, while irresponsible, did _not_ conjure the mark?" Percy asked.

"If you ask me, Mr. Crouch is very lucky no one at the _Daily Prophet_ knows how mean he is to elves!" Hermione spoke up.

"Now, look here, Hermione!" Percy snapped. "A high-ranking Ministry official—"

"Here you go, bringing his status at the Ministry into it again," Lucy cut him off. "That's no excuse for his actions."

"_As I was saying_," Percy hissed, glaring at Lucy, "a high-ranking Ministry official like Mr. Crouch deserves unswerving obedience from his servants—"

"His _slave_, you mean!" Hermione cried. "Because he didn't _pay_ Winky, did he?"

"I think you'd all better go upstairs and check that you've packed correctly!" Mrs. Weasley interrupted. "Come on, now. All of you—"

Hermione, glaring at Percy, stood up and flounced from the room. Lucy and Ginny followed her. They hurried up the stairs and shut the door to Ginny's room behind them.

"Your brother is being completely insufferable!" Hermione raged. "It's like Mr. Crouch can do no wrong! Everything Mr. Crouch does is not only correct, but it's the best thing ever! Mr. Crouch, Mr. Crouch, _Mr_. _Crouch_!"

"Wow, 'Mione," Lucy chuckled. "You've got some pent-up anger in there; don't be afraid to get it all out."

Hermione let out a breath.

"Hermione, this is how house-elves are treated," Ginny explained gently. "They're meant to be seen and not heard, and they're supposed to do what their masters tell them, no matter what. If a house-elf disobeys an order, it's considered a dishonor, really."

"But Winky was _saving_ herself," Hermione said. "Surely a house-elf's master would consider that an exception. There were people burning tents down out there, and she was just expected to sit there and hope that the tent she was in would be okay?"

"According to some elf owners, yes," Ginny said.

"That's not fair!" Hermione cried.

"It's definitely not fair," Lucy agreed. "If you ask me, it sounds like there might be some other reason as to why Crouch fired her. Anybody else would just be happy that their elf had made it out of danger and could continue serving them."

"It's not only that he fired her, though," Hermione said. "He made her sit up in that Top Box, saving a seat for him, and he never showed up! When he _knew_ that she was afraid of heights!"

"I know you're upset, but there's nothing you can do about it right now," Ginny said sympathetically. "You can't force Crouch to take Winky back. What's done is done."

"C'mon—let's make sure our trunks are packed," Lucy suggested.

Hermione, of course, already had her trunk perfectly organized. Lucy and Ginny had been a little lazier with theirs, but they started to sift through their things to make sure they had everything they needed.

"Girls!" Mrs. Weasley called, knocking on the door before opening it. In her arms was a pile of robes. "Freshly laundered. Make sure to fold them nicely, otherwise they're going to wrinkle."

The girls took their robes from her, thanking her, and she left the room again.

"There were dress robes listed for this year," Lucy said as she went through her list, checking off the things she'd packed. "What do yours look like?"

Hermione blushed, and she pulled out her dress robes, which were a beautiful pale blue color.

"Wow, Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed. She fished around in her trunk until she found her dress robes, which she held up for the others to see. It had a teal skirt and collar, a light pink bodice, and a dark pink sash.

"Those are nice!" Hermione said.

"They were my mum's," Ginny said. "She said that they would look lovely with my hair, but I'm not so sure about it."

"You looked great when you tried them on before," Lucy said. She turned to Hermione and explained briefly, "Mrs. Weasley had Ginny try them on a few weeks ago to adjust the hem and stuff."

"Well, what about yours?" Hermione asked.

Lucy found her purple and silver dress robes quickly and held them up for the girls to see. "My mom and dad came to visit on my birthday," she told Hermione. "They took me into Diagon Alley and helped me pick them out."

"What do you think we need dress robes for anyway?" Ginny asked as they folded their robes. "They've never been on our lists before."

"I don't know," Lucy said. "Maybe it's for that secret event that your brother keeps mentioning." Hermione scowled at the mention of Percy, and Lucy added, "Hermione, stop thinking about the house-elves!"

"Sorry," Hermione muttered.

Lucy gave her a small smile before turning back to Ginny. "I've noticed something lately. You seem to be doing better around Harry," she said teasingly.

Ginny glowed scarlet. "I've been trying," she murmured.

"You just need to be yourself around him," Hermione said. "You need to stop thinking about embarrassing yourself around him, because the more you think about it, the more likely you're going to do it."

"I suppose that's true," Ginny sighed. "I just wish I didn't fancy him!"

"Well, maybe it'll go away," Lucy said. "Or maybe he'll end up liking you, too, someday. You never know."

There was a knock on the door, and Mrs. Weasley pushed it open once again. "I don't mean to interrupt, girls, but if you're done packing, you should be getting to bed," she told them. "I'm probably going to need your help tomorrow morning with breakfast before you leave for school."

"Okay, Mum," Ginny said.

"Good night," Mrs. Weasley said.

"Good night," the girls answered, and Mrs. Weasley shut the door.

"Well, I think I'm all packed," Hermione said. "I'm going to go brush my teeth." She left the room, and Lucy and Ginny finished putting things into their trunks.

"Are you excited to go back to school?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, yes," Ginny said. "I'm excited to hear what this mysterious event is going to be."

"Me, too," Lucy agreed.

She and Ginny went to brush their teeth, as well, and soon the girls were climbing into their beds.

"Good night," Hermione yawned into the darkness.

"Good night," Ginny replied sleepily.

"Good night," Lucy finished, laying back onto her pillow and quickly falling asleep.

**~LJ:D~**

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_**A/N: I based Ginny's dress robes off the ones that she wore in the movie. As far as I could tell, her robes weren't described in the book. Also, I decided to follow the movies a bit closer when it comes to dress robes, meaning that the girls are basically wearing dresses instead of just fancy robes.**_


	7. 7: Exciting News

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

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**Chapter 7 – Exciting News**

It was raining heavily when Mrs. Weasley woke the three girls up the next morning. They changed into clothes they had left out the night before and went downstairs to help Mrs. Weasley with the breakfast. There was no sign of any of the boys.

"Hermione, if you could concentrate on the toast," Mrs. Weasley instructed. "Lucy, you take the bacon. Ginny, the eggs."

The girls took their spots in the kitchen and began preparing the food.

A few minutes later, there was a faint _pop_ from somewhere behind the girls. Lucy, Hermione, and Ginny turned to see Mr. Diggory's head sticking out of the fireplace. Hermione jumped in surprise.

"Good morning, Molly," the head said to Mrs. Weasley. "I hate to barge in on you this early, but there's an urgent matter that has come up with Mad-Eye that I need to speak with Arthur about."

"Right," Mrs. Weasley said, hurrying from the kitchen. Lucy could hear her yelling up the stairs for her husband.

"Good morning," Mr. Diggory said to the girls. "Sorry if I startled you at all."

"Good morning, Mr. Diggory," Lucy said politely.

Mr. Weasley came barreling into the kitchen and skidded to a halt in front of the fire. "What's happened?" he asked.

"Over at Mad-Eye Moody's house, there was a disturbance," Mr. Diggory started.

Harry, Ron, Fred, and George all entered the kitchen, and Lucy saw Harry do a double-take when he saw the head in the fire.

"Muggle neighbors heard bangs and shouting," Mr. Diggory went on, "so they went and called those—what-d'you-call-'ems—please-men. Arthur, you've got to get over there—"

"Here!" Mrs. Weasley said, thrusting a quill, some ink, and a piece of parchment into Mr. Weasley's hands.

"It's a real stroke of luck I heard about it," Mr. Diggory continued. "I had to come into the office early to send a couple of owls, and I found the Improper Use of Magic lot all setting off—if Rita Skeeter gets hold of this one, Arthur…"

"What does Mad-Eye say happen?" Mr. Weasley asked, preparing his quill and parchment.

"Says he heard an intruder in his yard," Mr. Diggory replied. "Says the intruder was creeping toward the house but was ambushed by his dustbins."

"What did the dustbins do?" Mr. Weasley prompted.

"Made one hell of a noise and fired rubbish everywhere, as far as I can tell," Mr. Diggory said. "Apparently one of them was still rocketing around when the please-men turned up.…"

"What about the intruder?" Mr. Weasley inquired.

"Arthur, you know Mad-Eye," Mr. Diggory said. "Someone creeping into his yard in the dead of night? More likely there's a very shell-shocked cat wandering around somewhere, covered in potato peelings. But if the Improper Use of Magic lot get their hands on Mad-Eye, he's had it—think of his record. We've got to get him off on a minor charge—something in your department. What are exploding dustbins worth?"

"Might be a caution," Mr. Weasley said. "Mad-Eye didn't use his wand? He didn't actually _attack_ anyone?"

"I'll bet he leapt out of bed and started jinxing everything he could reach through the window," Mr. Diggory scoffed, "but they'll have a job proving it. There aren't any casualties."

"All right, I'm off," Mr. Weasley announced, folding up his sheet of notes and running out of the kitchen.

"Sorry about all this, Molly," Mr. Diggory said, "bothering you so early and everything—but Arthur's the only one who can get Mad-Eye off, and Mad-Eye's supposed to be starting his new job today. _Why_ he had to choose last night—"

"Never mind, Amos," Mrs. Weasley said, waving her hand. "Sure you won't have a bit of toast or anything before you go?"

"Oh, go on, then," Mr. Diggory said.

Mrs. Weasley picked up a bit of toast and deposited it in Mr. Diggory's mouth.

"Fanks," he said around the toast, and then his head disappeared from the fire.

Harry, Ron, Fred, and George took this as their cue to finally start their breakfast. Lucy, Hermione, and Ginny put the final dishes on the table, and then they, too, sat and began eating.

"I'd better hurry," Mr. Weasley said as he entered the kitchen again. "You have a good term, kids. Molly, are you going to be all right taking all of them to King's Cross?"

"Of course I will," Mrs. Weasley replied, kissing her husband's cheek. "You just look after Mad-Eye. We'll be fine."

Mr. Weasley nodded and then turned on his heel and Disapparated.

Bill and Charlie came into the kitchen a moment later. "Did someone say Mad-Eye?" Bill asked as they sat down for some breakfast, as well. "What's he been up to now?"

"He says someone tried to break into his house last night," Mrs. Weasley answered.

"Mad-Eye Moody?" George repeated. "Isn't he that nutter—?"

"Your father thinks very highly of Mad-Eye Moody," Mrs. Weasley said firmly. She left the room.

"Yeah, well, Dad collects plugs, doesn't he?" Fred said quietly. "Birds of a feather—"

"Moody was a great wizard in his time," Bill said.

"He's an old friend of Dumbledore's, isn't he?" Charlie wondered.

"Dumbledore's not what you'd call _normal_, though, is he?" Fred countered. "I mean, I know he's a genius and everything—"

"Who _is_ Mad-Eye?" Harry asked.

"He's used to work at the Ministry, but he's retired now," Charlie explained. "I met him once when Dad took me in to work with him. He was an Auror—one of the best—a Dark wizard catcher," he added for clarification when Harry stared at him blankly. "Half the cells in Azkaban are full because of him. He made himself loads of enemies, though—the families of people he caught, mainly—and I heard he's been getting really paranoid in his old age. Doesn't trust anyone anymore—sees Dark wizards everywhere—"

"You dang Dark wizards, get off my lawn!" Lucy said, imitating an old man's voice.

Everyone snorted into their plates.

**~LJ:D~**

After breakfast, all the Hogwarts students hurried to do any last-minute packing. Bill and Charlie decided to come with them to King's Cross, but Percy refused, saying that Crouch needed him at work. Mrs. Weasley ended up walking into the village and borrowing the telephone at the post office to call three Muggle taxis to take them to the train station.

"Arthur tried to borrow Ministry cars for us," Mrs. Weasley told them as the taxi drivers dragged the seven trunks towards their cars, "but there weren't any to spare.… Oh, dear, they don't look too happy, do they?"

They split up into groups and entered their taxis. Lucy and Ginny went together in one car with Mrs. Weasley, Charlie went with Fred and George, and Bill went with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

When they reached the station, they made it to the barrier between platforms nine and ten with plenty of time to spare, and Mrs. Weasley sent them through in groups.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione went first, leaning against the barrier and falling through it. Next, Fred and George took the barrier at a run. Lucy and Ginny went next, taking it at a brisk walk.

Once they had gotten onto platform nine and three-quarters, Lucy and Ginny pushed their trolleys along the train until they caught up with Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Then the five of them hauled their luggage into an empty compartment.

When they were finished, they jumped back down with Fred and George to say their farewells to Mrs. Weasley, Billy, and Charlie.

"I might be seeing you all sooner than you think," Charlie said with a smile as he finished saying good-bye.

"Why?" Fred asked.

"You'll see," Charlie replied mysteriously. "Just don't tell Percy I mentioned it—it's _classified information, until such time as the Ministry sees fit to release it_, after all."

"Yeah, I sort of wish I was back at Hogwarts this year," Bill added.

"_Why_?" George demanded.

"You're going to have an interesting year," Bill said. "I might even get time off to come and watch a bit of it.…"

"A bit of _what_?" Ron asked.

The train whistle blew, and Mrs. Weasley herded them to the train. They jumped inside and leaned out the windows to continue talking to Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie.

"Thanks for having us to stay, Mrs. Weasley," Hermione said.

"Yeah, thanks for everything, Mrs. Weasley," Harry echoed.

"Oh, it was my pleasure, dears," Mrs. Weasley replied. "I'd invite you for Christmas, but—well, I expect you're going to want to stay at Hogwarts, what with—one thing and another."

"Mum!" Ron cried. "What do you know that we don't?"

"You'll find out this evening, I expect," Mrs. Weasley told him. "It's going to be very exciting—mind you, I'm very glad they've changed the rules—"

"What rules?" Harry, Ron, Fred, and George all asked.

"I'm sure Professor Dumbledore will tell you…" Mrs. Weasley said. "Now, behave, won't you? _Won't_ you, Fred? And you, George?"

The train's whistle blew again, and it began to slowly pull away from the station.

"Tell us what's happening at Hogwarts!" Fred shouted. "What rules are they changing?"

Mrs. Weasley, Bill, and Charlie merely smiled and waved, and then they Disapparated.

Fred and George, grumbling to one another, left to find their friends. Ginny also started down the train, and Harry led Lucy, Ron, and Hermione back to the compartment they'd left their trunks in.

Ron immediately opened his trunk and pulled something out from inside it.

"What are those?" Lucy asked.

Ron's ears turned red. "They're my dress robes," he muttered. "They're hideous." He tossed them over Pig's cage to try and muffle his hooting. Then he sat down next to Harry and said, "Bagman wanted to tell us what's happening at Hogwarts. At the World Cup, remember? Not even my own _mother_ would say. Wonder what—?"

"Shh!" Hermione hushed him. She pointed at the compartment next to theirs, and they could hear a voice coming from the hallway.

"—Father actually considered sending me to Durmstrang rather than Hogwarts, you know," Draco Malfoy was saying to someone. "He knows the headmaster, you see. Well, you know his opinion of Dumbledore—the man's a Mudblood lover—and Durmstrang doesn't admit that sort of riffraff. But Mother just didn't like the idea of me going to school so far away. Father says Durmstrang takes a far more sensible line than Hogwarts about the Dark Arts. Durmstrang students actually _learn_ them, not just the defense rubbish we do—"

Hermione stood up and slowly closed their compartment door, blocking out Malfoy's voice. "So, he thinks Durmstrang would have suited him, does he?" she muttered, sitting back down. "I wish he _had_ gone. Then we wouldn't have to put up with him."

"Durmstrang's another Wizarding school?" Harry guessed.

"Yes," Hermione confirmed, "and it's got a horrible reputation. According to _An Appraisal of Magical Education in Europe_, it puts a lot of emphasis on the Dark Arts."

"I think I've heard of it," Ron said thoughtfully. "Where is it? What country?"

"Well, nobody knows for sure," Lucy said.

"Er—why not?" Harry asked, frowning in confusion.

"There's always been a lot of rivalry between the magical schools," Lucy explained. "Most of them like to conceal their locations so that nobody can _steal their secrets_." She made air quotes with her fingers.

"Come off it," Ron scoffed. "Durmstrang's got to be about the same size as Hogwarts—how are you going to hide a great big castle?"

"But Hogwarts _is_ hidden," Hermione said. "Everyone knows that—well, everyone who's read _Hogwarts, A History_, anyway."

"Just you, then," Ron said, and Lucy swatted at his knee. "So, go on—how d'you hide a place like Hogwarts?"

"It's bewitched," Hermione said. "If a Muggle looks at it, all they see is a moldering old ruin with a sign over the entrance saying _DANGER, DO NOT ENTER, UNSAFE_."

"So Durmstrang'll just look like a ruin to an outsider, too?" Harry asked.

"Maybe," Hermione said, "or it might have Muggle repelling charms on it, like the World Cup stadium. And to keep foreign wizards from finding it, they'll have made it Unplottable—"

"Come again?" Ron interrupted.

"Well, you can enchant a building so it's impossible to plot on a map, can't you?" Hermione said, as though it should've been common knowledge.

"Er—if you say so," Harry said.

"I think Durmstrang must be somewhere in the far north," Hermione mused. "Somewhere very cold, because they've got fur capes as part of their uniforms."

"Ah, think of the possibilities," Ron sighed. "It would've been so easy to push Malfoy off a glacier and make it look like an accident.… Shame his mother likes him—"

"Nice, Ron," Lucy said, rolling her eyes.

**~LJ:D~**

The rain continued outside, pounding against the windows. The sky was dark—so dark that the lanterns in the train were lit before the witch pushing the food trolley came along. When the trolley rolled by, Lucy and Harry bought some snacks to share between the four of them.

Around mid-afternoon, Seamus and Dean stopped by their compartment, accompanied by Neville Longbottom, the final fourth-year Gryffindor boy. Seamus was still wearing his Irish rosette from the World Cup, which was feebly shouting the names of the Irish Chasers.

The boys immersed themselves in Quidditch talk. Hermione quickly grew bored of the conversation and began reading her copy of _The Standard Book of Spells, Grade 4_.

"Gran didn't want to go," Neville eventually spoke up sadly. "Wouldn't buy tickets. It sounded amazing, though."

"It _was_," Ron said. "Look at this, Neville.…" He got up and dug into his trunk until he found his Krum figure.

"Oh, _wow_," Neville said.

Ron handed the little figure over to Neville, so he could look more closely at it. "We saw him right up close, as well," Ron boasted. "We were in the Top Box—"

"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley," a voice said.

They all looked up to see that Malfoy and his friends Vincent Crabbe and Gregory Goyle—both fourth-year Slytherins—had stopped at the door of their compartment.

"Don't remember asking you to join us, Malfoy," Harry said.

"Weasley… what the hell is _that_?" Malfoy asked, gesturing to Pig's cage where Ron's dress robes were visible. Ron dove to try and grab them, but Malfoy was faster. He pulled the robes off the cage and held them up for all to see. "Look at this!" he cried, laughing. "Weasley, you weren't thinking of _wearing_ these, were you? I mean—they _were_ very fashionable—in about eighteen-ninety—"

"Eat shit, Malfoy!" Ron snapped, pulling the dress robes from Malfoy's hands.

"So… going to enter, Weasley?" Malfoy continued, wiping away tears of laughter. "Going to try and bring a bit of glory to the family name? There's money involved, as well, you know—you'd be able to afford some decent robes if you won—"

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked angrily.

"_Are you going to enter_?" Malfoy repeated. "I suppose _you_ will, Potter? You never miss a chance to show off, do you?"

"Either explain what you're on about or go away, Malfoy," Hermione spoke up.

"Don't tell me you don't _know_?" Malfoy asked, looking ecstatic. "You've got a father _and_ a brother at the Ministry, and you don't even _know_? My God, _my_ father told me about it _ages_ ago—heard it from Cornelius Fudge himself. Then again, Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry.… Maybe your father's too _junior_ to know about it, Weasley—yes—they probably don't talk about important stuff in front of him—"

Lucy stood up, holding her wand casually between her fingers, and looked at Malfoy. "It's time for you to go now," she said. "If you say one more word against Mr. Weasley, I _will_ hex you."

Malfoy narrowed his eyes at her and then beckoned Crabbe and Goyle to follow him out. Ron jumped up and slammed the compartment door behind them. It shut so hard that the glass shattered.

"_Ron_!" Hermione gasped.

"_Reparo_!" Lucy said, pointing her wand at the glass, which fixed itself.

"Well—making it look like he knows fucking everything, and we don't," Ron growled. "_Father's always associated with the top people at the Ministry._ Dad could've got a promotion any time—he just likes it where he is.…"

"Of course he does," Hermione agreed. "Don't let Malfoy get to you, Ron—"

"Him? Get to me? As if!" Ron exclaimed, squashing a Cauldron Cake. "Fucking _asshole_," he muttered under his breath.

Lucy and Hermione shared a disbelieving glance, but neither of them said anything more on the subject.

**~LJ:D~**

Seamus, Dean, and Neville eventually left the compartment, leaving Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione alone once again. Ron didn't say much more for the remainder of the journey. When they were close to school, they changed into their robes.

A few minutes later, the train began to slow down into Hogsmeade station. Once the train had stopped, the students all crowded out onto the platform, pulling their hoods over their heads as the rain poured down on them.

"Hi, Hagrid!" Harry yelled towards the giant shadow that they knew was their friend and Care of Magical Creatures professor, Rubeus Hagrid.

"All righ', Harry?" Hagrid hollered back. "See yeh at the feast if we don' drown!"

"Well, _that's_ a lovely thing to shout for all the first-years to hear," Lucy said, shaking her head.

"Oooh, I wouldn't fancy crossing the lake in this weather," Hermione commented.

Lucy and her friends followed the slowly moving line of students and eventually reached one of the horseless carriages, which would carry them up to the castle. As they journeyed up to the school, the rain began to come down harder, and lightning flashed across the sky.

When their carriage came to a stop, Lucy, Hermione, Ron, and Harry jumped out of it, ran up the stone steps, and hurried through the front door. They were still soaking wet as they started across the entrance hall.

"Blimey," Ron said as he shook his head, "if that keeps up, the lake's going to overflow. I'm soak—ARRGH!"

Lucy, Hermione, and Harry sprang back as a red water balloon fell from the ceiling and landed directly on Ron's head. Ron lurched sideways, banging into Harry. Another balloon fell, landing at their feet and sending cold water into their shoes.

The students around them started shouting and pushing each other forward to get away from the balloons. Lucy looked up and saw Peeves the Poltergeist floating in the air, getting ready to throw the next one.

"PEEVES!" a voice thundered across the hall. "Peeves, come down here at ONCE!" Professor Minerva McGonagall was striding out from the Great Hall towards Peeves. She slid on the wet floor and grabbed Hermione's neck to keep herself upright. "Ouch," Professor McGonagall gasped. "Sorry, Miss Granger—"

"That's all right, Professor!" Hermione said, rubbing her neck.

"Peeves, get down here, NOW!" Professor McGonagall demanded, looking up at the ceiling once again.

"Not doing nothing!" Peeves said gleefully. He tossed a balloon at a group of girls, who screamed and ran the rest of the way into the Great Hall. "Already wet, aren't they? Little squirts! Wheeeeee!" He threw another balloon.

"I shall call the headmaster!" Professor McGonagall threatened. "I'm warning you, Peeves—"

Peeves made a face at her and threw the rest of his balloons in the air before zooming away.

"Well, move along, then!" Professor McGonagall said over the heads of everyone still in the entrance hall. "Into the Great Hall! Go on!"

Lucy, Ron, Harry, and Hermione walked carefully over to the Great Hall, slipping every few steps on the wet floor. Ron was in a particularly foul mood as he pushed his soaking wet hair off his face.

Thankfully, the Great Hall was nice and warm. Everyone was settling down at their house tables. Lucy, Hermione, Harry, and Ron made their way down the Gryffindor table and took their seats. Harry and Ron sat next to Neville, while Lucy was between George and Hermione, with Ginny on Hermione's other side.

The Gryffindor ghost Nearly Headless Nick was also sitting nearby. "Good evening," he said to them as they sat.

"Says who?" Harry asked. He bent over, undid the laces on his shoes, and turned them upside down, dumping water out of them. "Hope they hurry up with the sorting. I'm starving."

"Hiya, Harry!" Colin Creevey, a third-year boy in their house, sat down on the other side of Ginny.

"Hi, Colin," Harry said.

"Harry, guess what?" Colin said. "Guess what, Harry? My brother's starting! My brother Dennis!"

"Er—good," Harry said.

Lucy shook her head disapprovingly at him. Then she grinned at the younger student and said, "That's awesome, Colin."

Colin smiled back. "He's really excited!" he said. "I just hope he's in Gryffindor! Keep your fingers crossed for him!"

The others all nodded that they would.

"Brothers and sisters usually go in the same houses, don't they?" Harry asked around.

Lucy snorted, amused at how unobservant her brother sometimes was.

"Oh, no—not necessarily," Hermione answered. "Parvati Patil's twin's in Ravenclaw, and they're identical. You'd think they'd be together, wouldn't you?"

Harry shrugged and then looked up at the staff table to count the empty chairs.

"Where's the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Hermione asked, also looking at all the teachers. "Maybe they couldn't get anyone!"

"I'm sure they found _someone_," Lucy said. "They can't cancel that class. It's required."

Professor Dumbledore entered the hall and stood in front of the students. "Welcome," he said, beaming around. "The sorting will begin in a few minutes."

They waited for another five minutes, but the first-years still hadn't arrived.

"Oh, hurry up," Ron finally moaned. "I could eat a hippogriff."

Then the doors to the Great Hall opened, and in marched Professor McGonagall, followed by a group of soaking wet first-years. They all looked very cold and nervous.

"Is it just me, or do they look smaller every year?" Lucy muttered to George, who laughed.

"You guys looked pretty small when you all walked in here as first-years," he said. "They're not getting smaller; you're getting bigger."

"If you say so," Lucy said, smirking.

Professor McGonagall had reached the top table and gestured for the first-years to stop. One little boy, who was wearing what seemed to be Hagrid's coat, looked around at the Gryffindor table. He gave Colin a thumbs up and mouthed something, looking very pleased with himself.

Lucy leaned across Hermione and Ginny and asked, "Colin, is that your brother?"

"Yeah, that's Dennis!" Colin said excitedly. "He fell in the lake!"

Lucy chuckled and sat back in her seat as Professor McGonagall set a stool down and then placed the old Sorting Hat on top of it. The hat then began its traditional song, and when it was finished, everyone applauded.

"That's not the song it sang when it sorted us," Harry commented.

It took Lucy a second to realize that Harry hadn't been to a sorting since their own.

"Sings a different one every year," Ron said. "It's got to be a pretty boring life, hasn't it, being a hat? I suppose it spends all year making up the next one.…"

Professor McGonagall pulled out the list of names and cleared her throat. "When I call out your name, you will put on that hat and sit on the stool," she explained to the first-years. "When the hat announces your house, you will go and sit at the appropriate table. Ackerley, Stewart!"

"RAVENCLAW!"

A handful of new first-years were sorted before Colin's little brother was called forward.

"Creevey, Dennis!"

Lucy saw Colin bouncing up and down in his seat out of the corner of her eye as his brother hurried forward. He sat on the stool and pulled the hat over his head eagerly. Behind him, Hagrid entered the hall from one of the doors up front, edging along the staff table until he reached his seat. Lucy looked back at Dennis.

"GRYFFINDOR!" the hat cried.

The Gryffindors cheered as Dennis took the hat off and practically ran to the table, sitting down next to his brother.

"Colin, I fell in!" he exclaimed. "It was brilliant! And something in the water grabbed me and pushed me back in the boat!"

"Cool!" Colin said. "It was probably the giant squid, Dennis!"

"_Wow_," Dennis said in awe.

"Dennis! Dennis!" Colin went on excitedly. "See that boy down there? The one with the black hair and glasses? See him? _Know who he is, Dennis_?"

Lucy glanced at Harry, who looked very uncomfortable.

Professor McGonagall continued at the front of the room, and this year's list was proving to be quite a bit longer than any that Lucy had seen before.

"Oh, hurry up," Ron groaned.

"Now, now—the sorting's much more important than food," Nearly Headless Nick said.

"'Course it is, if you're dead," Ron mumbled, causing Hermione to say, "_Ron_!"

"I do hope this year's batch of Gryffindors are up to scratch," Nick continued. "We don't want to break our winning streak, do we?"

The sorting continued for another ten minutes before the last student was sorted into Gryffindor. Professor McGonagall gathered the hat and stool and took them away.

"About time!" Ron said, looking at the food dishes eagerly.

Professor Dumbledore stood up at the front of the hall. "I have only two words to say to you," he announced. "_Tuck in_."

"Hear, hear!" Harry and Ron exclaimed as the food appeared on the tables, and everyone immediately began to serve themselves.

"Aaah, 'at's be'er," Ron said through a mouth full of food.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," Lucy scolded. "It's disgusting and rude." Ron stuck his tongue out, showing off his mashed potatoes, and Lucy shook her head.

"You're lucky there's a feast tonight at all, you know," Nick told them. "There was trouble in the kitchens earlier."

"Why? Wha' 'appened?" Harry asked.

"Peeves, of course," Nick sighed. "The usual argument, you know. He wanted to attend the feast—well, it's quite out of the question. You know what he's like—utterly uncivilized—can't see a plate of food without throwing it. We held a ghost's council—the Fat Friar was all for giving him the chance—but most wisely, in my opinion, the Bloody Baron put his foot down."

"Yeah, we thought Peeves seemed hacked off about something," Ron said, frowning. "So, what did he do in the kitchens?"

"Oh, the usual," Nick replied. "Wreaked havoc and mayhem. Pots and pans everywhere. Place swimming in soup. Terrified the house-elves out of their wits—"

Hermione accidentally knocked her goblet of pumpkin juice over, staring at Nick with wide eyes. "There are house-elves _here_?" she asked. "Here at _Hogwarts_?"

"Certainly," Nick replied. "The largest number in any dwelling in Britain, I believe. Over a hundred."

"I've never seen one!" Hermione said.

"Well, they hardly ever leave the kitchen by day, do they?" Nick said. "They come out at night to do a bit of cleaning—see to the fires and so on.… I mean, you're not supposed to see them, are you? That's a mark of a good house-elf, isn't it, that you don't know it's there?"

"But they get _paid_?" Hermione asked. "They get _holidays_, don't they? And—and sick leave and pensions and everything?"

Nick began to laugh; he laughed so much that his head fell off his neck, dangling from the only bit of skin that was still attached. When he regained control of himself, he put his head back on straight and repeated, "Sick leave and pensions? House-elves don't want sick leave and pensions!"

Hermione looked down at her food, horrified, before pushing her plate away from her.

"Oh, c'mon, 'Er-my-knee," Ron said, accidentally spitting pudding at Harry. "Oops—sorry, 'Arry—" He paused to swallow as Lucy shook her head in disgust at him. "You won't get them sick leave by starving yourself!" he told Hermione.

"Slave labor," Hermione said, looking very upset. "That's what made this dinner. _Slave labor_." She sat with her arms crossed over her chest, refusing to eat anything else.

The dinner food was soon cleared away, and desserts appeared immediately.

"Treacle tart, Hermione!" Ron goaded, trying to convince Hermione to eat something. "Spotted dick, look! Chocolate gateau!"

Hermione glared at him, and he left her alone.

**~LJ:D~**

The rest of them filled up on desserts, and soon after, that was cleared away, as well.

Professor Dumbledore stood once more, and silence fell over the hall. "So!" he began, smiling warmly. "Now that we are all fed and watered, I must once more ask for your attention while I give out a few notices.

"Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me to tell you that the list of objects forbidden inside the castle has this year been extended to include Screaming Yo-yos, Fanged Frisbees, and Ever-Bashing Boomerangs," Dumbledore continued. "The full list comprises some four hundred and thirty-seven items, I believe, and can be viewed in Mr. Filch's office, if anybody would like to check it.

"As ever, I would like to remind you all that the forest on the grounds is out-of-bounds to students, as is the village of Hogsmeade to all below third year or without proper permission.

"It is also my painful duty to inform you that the Inter-House Quidditch Cup will not take place this year."

"_What_?" Harry burst out, looking confused.

"At least Oliver graduated last year," Lucy commented. "If he were here, he probably would've had a heart attack."

"This is due to an event that will be starting in October," Dumbledore went on, "and continuing throughout the school year, taking up much of the teachers' time and energy—but I am sure you will all enjoy it immensely."

Lucy was hanging onto the edge of her seat, excited to finally figure out what this mysterious event was going to be.

"I have great pleasure in announcing that this year at Hogwarts—"

The doors of the Great Hall suddenly opened, interrupting Dumbledore's speech. Everyone turned to see that a man was paused in the doorway.

After a moment, the man began to walk up to the staff table. Every other step he took made a dull clunking noise against the stone floor. A bolt of lightning ripped across the ceiling, and the man's face was illuminated, showing off many scars and a missing bit of nose. His eyes were mismatched: one seemed to be his ordinary eye, while the other one was larger and bright blue, and it zoomed around in its socket.

When the man reached the top table, Dumbledore shook his hand and exchanged a few quiet words with him. Then the man took the only empty chair left at the table and began to eat from a few dishes that had magically reappeared. The students could see that his regular eye was concentrating on his food, but the other eye was still looking all around the hall.

"May I introduce our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher?" Dumbledore said. "Professor Moody."

Dumbledore and Hagrid were the only ones to clap; everyone else was still too bewildered by the professor's late entrance and strange looks to applaud.

"Moody?" Harry echoed. "_Mad-Eye Moody_? The one your dad went to help this morning?"

"Must be," Ron answered.

"Mr. Diggory _did_ say that he was supposed to be starting his new job today," Lucy added thoughtfully.

"What happened to him?" Hermione hissed. "What happened to his _face_?"

"Dunno," Ron muttered.

"Dark wizard catcher," Fred reminded them, leaning in. "He's probably had a lot of run-ins with nasty curses—"

Dumbledore was calling for attention back at the front of the hall, and the students quieted. "As I was saying," he said, "we are to have the honor of hosting a very exciting event over the coming months, an event that has not been held for over a century. It is my very great pleasure to inform you that the Triwizard Tournament will be taking place at Hogwarts this year."

"You're JOKING!" Fred shouted, and the tension from Moody's arrival was lifted as the students laughed at Fred's outburst.

"I am _not_ joking, Mr. Weasley," Dumbledore chuckled. "Though now that you mention it, I did hear an excellent one over the summer about a troll, a hag, and a leprechaun who all go into a bar—"

Professor McGonagall cleared her throat, and Dumbledore stopped.

"Er—but maybe this is not the time… no…" Dumbledore said. "Where was I? Ah yes, the Triwizard Tournament.… Well, some of you will not know what this tournament involves, so I hope those who _do_ know will forgive me for giving a short explanation and allow their attention to wander freely.

"The Triwizard Tournament was first established some seven hundred years ago as a friendly competition between the three largest European schools of wizardry: Hogwarts, Beauxbatons, and Durmstrang. A champion was selected to represent each school, and the three champions competed in three magical tasks. The schools took it in turns to host the tournament once every five years, and it was generally agreed to be a most excellent way of establishing ties between young witches and wizards of different nationalities—until, that is, the death toll mounted so high that the tournament was discontinued."

"_Death toll_?" Hermione murmured, looking disturbed.

"There have been several attempts over the centuries to reinstate the tournament," Dumbledore continued, "none of which have been very successful. However, our own Departments of International Magical Cooperation and Magical Games and Sports have decided the time is ripe for another attempt. We have worked hard over the summer to ensure that this time, no champion will find himself or herself in mortal danger.

"The heads of Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving with their shortlisted contenders in October, and the selection of the three champions will take place at Halloween. An impartial judge will decide which students are most worthy to compete for the Triwizard Cup, the glory of their school, and a thousand Galleons personal prize money."

"I'm going for it!" Fred whispered excitedly.

All along the hall, there was an outbreak of murmured conversations until Dumbledore held up his hand for silence.

"Eager though I know all of you will be to bring the Triwizard Cup to Hogwarts," he went on, "the heads of the participating schools, along with the Ministry of Magic, have agreed to impose an age restriction on contenders this year. Only students who are of age—that is to say, seventeen years or older—will be allowed to put forward their names for consideration. This—" Dumbledore had to raise his voice at the cries of outrage at his last statement. "—is a measure we feel is necessary, given that the tournament tasks will still be difficult and dangerous, whatever precautions we take. It is highly unlikely that students below sixth and seventh year will be able to cope with them. I will personally be ensuring that no underage student hoodwinks our impartial judge into making them Hogwarts champion. I therefore beg you not to waste your time submitting yourself if you are under seventeen.

"The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving in October and remaining with us for the greatest part of the year. I know that you will all extend every courtesy to our foreign guests while they are with us and will give your whole-hearted support to the Hogwarts champion when he or she is selected.

"Now, it is late, and I know how important it is to you all to be alert and rested as you enter your lessons tomorrow morning. Bedtime! Chop chop!" Dumbledore sat back in his chair and began to talk with Moody.

The rest of the school rose from their tables and started for the Great Hall doors.

"They can't do that!" George exclaimed, glaring up at Dumbledore. "We're seventeen in April! Why can't we have a shot?"

"They're not stopping _me_ entering," Fred said. "The champions'll get to do all sorts of stuff you'd never be allowed to do normally. Not to mention a thousand Galleons prize money!"

"Yeah," Ron agreed. "Yeah, a thousand Galleons.…"

"Come on," Hermione said. "We'll be the only ones left here if you don't move."

Lucy followed her friends from the hall, and they started to climb the marble stairs in the entrance hall.

"Who's this impartial judge who's going to decide who the champions are?" Harry asked.

"Dunno," Fred replied, "but it's them we'll have to fool. I reckon a couple of drops of Aging Potion might do it, George—"

"Dumbledore knows you're not of age, though," Ron pointed out.

"Yeah, but he's not the one who decides who the champion is, is he?" Fred said. "Sounds to me like once this judge knows who wants to enter, he'll choose the best from each school and never mind how old they are. Dumbledore's trying to stop us giving our names."

"People have _died_, though!" Hermione insisted.

"Yeah," Fred said, "but that was years ago, wasn't it? Anyway, where's the fun without a bit of risk? Hey, Ron, what if we find out how to get 'round Dumbledore? Fancy entering?"

"What d'you reckon?" Ron asked, looking at Harry. "Be cool to enter, wouldn't it? I s'ppose they might want someone older.… Dunno if we've learned enough—"

"I definitely haven't," Neville spoke up, joining them from behind. "I expect my gran would want me to try, though. She's always going on about how I should be upholding the family honor. I'll just have to—oops—" He had missed jumping the trick step in the staircase, and his foot had gone right through, stopping him in his tracks.

Harry and Ron pulled him out as a suit of armor at the top of the stairs started to laugh.

"Shut it, you," Ron said, closing the suit's visor as they walked by.

"I really don't think you two should put your names in," Lucy told Fred and George.

"You sound like a Hufflepuff," Fred said. "C'mon, we're in Gryffindor! Bravest of the brave!"

"It's not a question of bravery," Lucy said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, I'm sure Dumbledore expects some people to try and trick this judge. He'll be prepared for it."

"We won't know unless we try," George said. "Don't worry about us, Lucy. We're as good as being of age."

They continued up another set of stairs, and then they reached the corridor where the portrait of the Fat Lady hung, which guarded the entrance to the Gryffindor common room.

"Password?" the Fat Lady asked as they approached.

"Balderdash," George said. "A prefect downstairs told me."

The portrait swung open for them, and they all climbed into the common room. There were some students sitting around the room, and there was a large, warm fire crackling away in the fireplace.

"_Slave labor_," Hermione muttered darkly as she glared at it. "I'm going up to bed. Coming, Lucy?"

"Yeah, sure," Lucy said. "Good night, everyone."

The others said good night, as well, and Lucy and Hermione began the climb up the girls' staircase.

**~LJ:D~**

When they reached the top, they found their dormitory with a new sign reading _Fourth Year_ on it. They entered the room to see their fellow classmates Parvati Patil, Lavender Brown, and Sally-Anne Perks already getting ready for bed.

"Hi, Lucy!" Sally-Anne said. "Hi, Hermione!"

"Hey, Sally-Anne," Lucy greeted. "Did you have a good summer?"

"It was all right," Sally-Anne replied. "Nothing crazy to report. How was yours?"

"Good," Lucy answered. "We went to the Quidditch World Cup."

"Oooh, I'm jealous!" Sally-Anne gushed. "I wish I could have gone! You know the Irish Seeker, Lynch? He is _fine_."

Lucy chuckled before saying good night to the girl.

After changing into her pajamas and brushing her teeth, Lucy slid into her bed. Evie jumped up and curled into a ball next to Lucy, who turned to look at Hermione.

"Do you really think Fred and George will try to get into the tournament?" Hermione asked, sounding worried. She had also just gotten into bed, and Crookshanks was making himself comfortable next to her.

"If they can make an Aging Potion like they were talking about, I have no doubt that they'll try," Lucy said.

"I mean, it's one thing for _them_ to try and get in," Hermione went on. "They're sixth-years, after all. Offering to help Ron and Harry enter, though? We're only starting our fourth year. There's no way we know enough magic."

"I know what you mean," Lucy agreed. "This impartial judge might not decide that either of them are worthy of being champion, though. It can't just be a random selection, right? Dumbledore made it sound like the judge picked the best candidate, which means it can't be random." Hermione shrugged, and Lucy added, "I know that you're upset about the house-elves, but you're not going to keep starving yourself, are you?"

"I suppose not," Hermione sighed. "There must be something else I can do, though. Those poor elves.…"

Lucy decided to not push the conversation further. "Well, we'd better get some rest before tomorrow," she said instead. "Good night, Hermione."

"Good night," came Hermione's reply.

Lucy settled down into her familiar four-poster bed, happy to be back at Hogwarts. She was excited to begin her fourth year in the morning, and she quickly fell asleep.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: "You dang Dark wizards, get off my lawn!" Probably my favorite line I've ever written for Lucy. lol.**_

_**As I mentioned at the very beginning of the story, this is rated T for language. I am going to start slipping in more swearing by the characters, because they're getting to that age where people start saying those types of things (or at least, they're at the age where I started using that type of language, haha). Ron was a character whom JK Rowling herself said was originally supposed to have a bit of a sailor's mouth, so he seemed like a logical choice to drop the first F-bomb.**_

_**When it comes to the students of Hogwarts, I actually have lists of every student in every year. It's mostly just so I had background characters that I could pull out if I needed to. I also have lists of prefects, Head Boys and Girls, and rosters for each Quidditch team. I like having a lot of extra information just in case. If you ever need to make a list of random names, just Google "random name generator", and you'll find tons of websites that will just spit names out at you.**_


	8. 8: Fourth Year Under Way

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 8 – Fourth Year Under Way**

The next morning, Lucy and Hermione woke up, dressed, and met Harry and Ron in the common room. They went down to breakfast together, where Professor McGonagall was handing out their new schedules.

"Today's not bad," Ron said as he looked at his Monday lineup. "Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, and Care of Magical Creatures—damn it, we're still with the Slytherins—"

"Double Divination this afternoon," Harry complained, dropping his schedule onto the table to start his breakfast.

"You should have given it up like me, shouldn't you?" Hermione said. "Then you'd be doing something sensible, like Arithmancy."

"Or you should have just never signed up for it at all," Lucy added, grateful that she hadn't chosen Divination the previous year for an elective class.

"Yeah, well, how were we supposed to know that it was going to be rubbish?" Ron said. Then, looking at Hermione, he added, "You're eating again, I notice."

"I've decided there are better ways of making a stand about elf rights," Hermione replied.

"Yeah… and you were hungry," Ron teased.

"Leave her alone, Ron," Lucy said.

The owls began to arrive, bringing in the morning mail, and everyone looked up to see if they recognized any of the owls. Harry was disappointed when Hedwig didn't show up.

"It's all right, Harry," Lucy said. "I'm sure you'll get a letter back soon."

Harry shrugged and went back to his porridge.

**~LJ:D~**

After breakfast, the Gryffindor fourth-years left the castle and met Professor Sprout in the greenhouse for their first Herbology class of the year. It was no longer raining, but it was still overcast. Professor Sprout wasted no time in showing them the plant they would be working with for the day. The plants looked like large, black slugs that had been stuffed into the ground, and they each had multiple, liquid-filled sacks hanging off them.

"Bubotubers," Professor Sprout announced as the class gathered around. "They need squeezing. You will collect the pus—"

"The _what_?" Seamus interrupted, looking disgusted.

"Pus, Finnigan, pus," Professor Sprout repeated. "And it's extremely valuable, so don't waste it. You will collect the pus, I say, in these bottles. Wear your dragon-hide gloves; it can do funny things to the skin when undiluted, bubotuber pus."

Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione set to work on the same plant. Squeezing the sacks to get the pus out was quite unpleasant, and Lucy and Hermione took turns between squeezing and holding the bottle.

Thankfully, it wasn't a very difficult task, and the end of the class period was soon upon them.

Professor Sprout seemed very satisfied with the students' results. "This'll keep Madam Pomfrey happy," she told them after all the bottles had been sealed. "An excellent remedy for the more stubborn forms of acne, bubotuber pus. Should stop students resorting to desperate measures to rid themselves of pimples."

"Like poor Eloise Midgen," one of the Hufflepuffs, Hannah Abbott, said. "She tied to curse hers off."

"Silly girl," Professor Sprout said, "but Madam Pomfrey fixed her nose on in the end."

**~LJ:D~**

The bell rang to signal the end of the hour, and the class left the greenhouses. The Hufflepuffs started back up to the castle while the Gryffindors walked over to Hagrid's cabin for Care of Magical Creatures.

They found Hagrid standing outside his house, waiting for them with a hand on his dog Fang's collar. In front of Hagrid was a group of wooden crates, and as the class got close, they could hear noises coming from inside them.

"Mornin'!" Hagrid called as they came near. "Be'er wait fer the Slytherins. They won' wan' ter miss this—Blast-Ended Skrewts!"

"Come again?" Ron asked.

"Eurgh!" Lavender exclaimed, jumping away from the crates.

Lucy looked down and saw about one hundred fleshy-looking creatures with lots of legs and no visible head wriggling around inside the crates. They were only about half a foot long, and every so often sparks would erupt from the end of the creature, causing it to fly forward.

"On'y jus' hatched!" Hagrid said proudly. "So yeh'll be able ter raise 'em yerselves! Thought we'd make a bit of a project out of it."

"Why would we _want_ to raise them?" The Slytherins had arrived. Malfoy was leading his gang of friends forward with his arms crossed over his chest. When Hagrid didn't answer, Malfoy added, "I mean, what do they _do_? What is the _point_ of them?"

"What's the point of _you_?" Lucy said, unable to hold herself back, and her fellow Gryffindors sniggered.

"Lucy," Hagrid said with warning in his tone. Then he turned to Malfoy and said, "Tha's next lesson, Malfoy. Yer jus' feedin' 'em today. Now, yeh'll wan' ter try 'em on a few diff'rent things—I've never had 'em before, so I'm not sure what they'll go fer—I got ant eggs an' frog livers an' a bit o' grass snake—jus' try 'em out with a bit o' each."

"First pus and now this," Seamus muttered as the class gathered around the crates.

Lucy was about to drop some ant eggs into a crate when Jeremy joined her.

"Good morning," he said, grinning.

"Hi, Jeremy," Lucy said, feeling nervous, although she didn't know why. "How are you?"

"I'm doing all right," Jeremy replied easily, "and yourself?"

"I'm good," Lucy replied. She took a breath and continued, "So, what the hell happened after the World Cup?"

The smile slid from Jeremy's face immediately. "It's nothing," he said quickly, trying to cover up his sudden mood change. "Don't worry about it."

"You seemed so freaked out in the woods, though," Lucy pressed. "Then that mark went in the air, and you just... disappeared." Jeremy was staring down into the crate, refusing to look at her, so Lucy added, "You can tell me. I won't tell anyone—"

"Look, I just—I can't talk about it," Jeremy interrupted, his tone more harsh than normal, and Lucy was taken aback. He sighed and went on more softly, "It's not important. Please don't worry about it."

"Fine," Lucy said, disappointed that he couldn't just tell her what had him so spooked that night.

Jeremy rubbed his face with one of his hands. "I just don't want you to think any less of me, okay?" he said in such a low voice that Lucy almost missed it.

"Why would I think any less of you?" Lucy asked, concerned.

"Listen, can we just stop talking about it?" Jeremy requested.

Lucy watched him for a moment longer before nodding. "Okay," she agreed.

"So, um," Jeremy said with a thin-lipped smile, "are the skrewts eating any of those eggs?"

"Doesn't seem like it," Lucy replied. "Although I don't even know where their faces are, so it may be that I haven't offered the eggs to the correct end yet."

Jeremy chuckled.

"_Ouch_!" Dean cried from another crate. He was cradling one of his hands in the other. "It got me!" Hagrid rushed over to him, and Dean held up his hand, which had a burn on it. He exclaimed, "Its end exploded!"

"Ah, yeah, tha' can happen when they blast off," Hagrid said.

"Eurgh!" Lavender screeched. "Eurgh, Hagrid, what's that pointy thing on it?"

"Ah, some of 'em have got stings," Hagrid answered. "I reckon they're males.… The females've got sorta sucker things on their bellies.… I think they migh' be ter suck blood."

"Well, I can certainly see why we're trying to keep them alive," Malfoy spoke up sarcastically. "Who wouldn't want pets that can burn, sting, and bite all at once?"

"Just because they're not very pretty doesn't mean they're not useful," Hermione retorted. "Dragon blood's amazingly magical, but you wouldn't want a dragon for a pet, would you?"

Lucy raised her eyebrows, remembering back when she was in her first year and Hagrid had gotten hold of a dragon egg. _He_ had certainly wanted to keep the creature as a pet.

**~LJ:D~**

At the end of class, they all left for lunch. Malfoy and his gang went ahead of the Gryffindors. Jeremy was walking with Lucy and her friends.

"Well, at least the skrewts are small," Ron commented.

"They are _now_," Hermione said, "but once Hagrid's found out what they eat, I expect they'll be six feet long."

"Well, that won't matter if they turn out to cure seasickness or something, will it?" Ron shot back, smirking.

"You know perfectly well I only said that to shut Malfoy up," Hermione replied. "As a matter of fact, I think he's right. The best thing to do would be to stamp on the lot of them before they start attacking us all."

The four Gryffindors and one Slytherin entered the Great Hall and sat down at the Gryffindor table for lunch. Hermione dished herself up some food and began shoveling it into her mouth as fast as possible.

"Er—is this the new stand on elf rights?" Ron asked. "You're going to make yourself puke instead?"

"_Ron_!" Lucy hissed.

"No," Hermione replied. "I just want to get to the library."

"_What_?" Ron said. "Hermione—it's the first day back! We haven't even got homework yet!"

Hermione shrugged, finished what was left of her food, and stood up. "See you in Arithmancy, Lucy," she said, and then she took off for the library.

"All right, what the hell was that all about?" Jeremy asked as the rest of them resumed their lunch at a normal pace.

"Hermione has recently discovered house-elves and how they're treated," Lucy explained. "No matter how many people tell her that house-elves don't want to be paid and that they enjoy the work that they do, she won't listen."

"Note to self: don't invite Hermione to either of my houses," Jeremy said with a chuckle.

"_Either_ of your houses?" Ron repeated. "You have more than one house?"

Jeremy looked a bit uncomfortable. Lucy suspected it was because he knew that the Weasleys didn't have a lot of money.

"We have a house in England and a house in France," Jeremy replied. "My mother insisted on having her own place in France, so she wouldn't be a burden on her family when she came to visit. The house-elf there is called Floraine. The house in England is my father's family estate, and we have another house-elf there called Boppin."

"Your family has _two_ house-elves?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Boppin came with the family estate," Jeremy explained, "and my mother really wanted a house-elf at the France house to help with the cooking and cleaning."

Harry and Ron gawked at him, and Lucy scolded them, "Stop staring."

"Lucy, he has _two_ mansions and _two_ house-elves!" Ron exclaimed.

"They're not _mansions_," Jeremy insisted, looking embarrassed. "Well, I mean—okay, the family estate is a big place, but the French house is actually fairly small."

"You don't have to explain yourself," Lucy assured him, glaring at Ron and Harry. "They're just being _nosy_."

"Look, my family has owned the estate in England for generations," Jeremy said. "There are a lot of pureblood families who have big houses that they pass on to their next of kin."

"I guess none of us would know," Ron said. "I'm the only pureblood between the three of us, and my parents moved into their house when they got married."

"My parents are pureblood purists," Jeremy said darkly. "My father would never have been okay with living somewhere other than on the family estate. He seems to think that I'm going to settle down with some nice pureblood girl and live in that house for the rest of my life, as well."

"You don't want to?" Lucy asked, surprised to find that she was genuinely intrigued at what his answer was going to be.

"I don't care what kind of blood the girl I end up marrying has, if I get married at all," Jeremy said. "And I'm definitely not interested in living in _that_ house once I'm done at Hogwarts. I want to get my own place, somewhere that's not so… cold and uninviting."

"What about the house-elves?" Ron asked, sniggering.

"If I end up inheriting Boppin, I'll probably keep him," Jeremy answered. "House-elves are very helpful, especially if you're kind to them. As for Floraine, I'd probably give her to one of my family members who lives in France."

"Maybe _you_ should talk to Hermione about this elf obsession she has," Ron said.

"If she won't listen to you three, I don't think she'll listen to me," Jeremy replied.

**~LJ:D~**

After lunch, Lucy met Hermione outside of the Arithmancy classroom. "So, what was so important that you practically inhaled your food and then dashed off to the library?" Lucy asked as they waited for Professor Vector to show up.

"It's just something I'm working on that I want to have finished soon," Hermione replied vaguely. "How was lunch?"

"Jeremy told us that he has two house-elves," Lucy answered. She frowned. "I've been friends with him since our first year, and I still don't know very much about him."

"I wouldn't be surprised if his family has an elf," Hermione said. "A lot of the old pureblooded families have them. It's almost seen as a sign of high society in the Wizarding world. Why do they have two?"

"His parents have two houses, apparently," Lucy explained. "One in England, and one in France, so they have an elf at each place."

"_Slave labor_…" Hermione grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest.

"If it makes you feel any better, Jeremy also said that elves are extremely helpful," Lucy added, "and that they enjoy the work that they do, especially if their masters are kind to them."

"Be that as it may, they're still not being paid, so they're still slaves," Hermione said.

Professor Vector arrived then, and he let the students into the classroom.

**~LJ:D~**

At the end of their double Arithmancy class, Professor Vector let them go with no homework. Lucy and Hermione started down to the Great Hall for dinner in high spirits, having received no homework in any of their classes. As they walked down the stairs, they met up with Harry and Ron, who both looked annoyed.

"Lots of homework?" Hermione asked. "Professor Vector didn't give _us_ any at all!"

"Well, bully for Professor Vector," Ron growled.

As they came to the entrance hall, someone shouted from behind them.

"Weasley! Hey, Weasley!" Malfoy was strutting towards them, flanked by Crabbe and Goyle and clutching a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ in his hand.

"What?" Ron asked.

"Your dad's in the paper, Weasley!" Malfoy said gleefully and loudly. "Listen to this!" He lifted the paper up and began to read the article.

_It seems as though the Ministry of Magic's troubles are not at an end yet,_ writes Rita Skeeter, Correspondent. _Recently under fire for its poor crowd control at the Quidditch World Cup, and still unable to account for the disappearance of one of its witches, the Ministry was plunged into fresh embarrassment yesterday by the antics of Arnold Weasley, of the Misuse of Muggle Artifacts Office._

"Imagine them not even getting his name right, Weasley," Malfoy laughed. "It's almost as though he's a complete nonentity, isn't it?"

"Yet _you_ seem to know his name, since you know this Skeeter woman got it wrong," Lucy countered.

Malfoy scowled and returned to reading the article aloud.

_Arnold Weasley, who was charged with possession of a flying car two years ago, was yesterday involved in a tussle with several Muggle law-keepers ("policemen") over a number of highly aggressive dustbins. Mr. Weasley appears to have rushed to the aid of "Mad-Eye" Moody, the aged ex-Auror, who retired from the Ministry when no longer able to tell the difference between a handshake and attempted murder. Unsurprisingly, Mr. Weasley found, upon arrival at Mr. Moody's heavily guarded house, that Mr. Moody had once again raised a false alarm. Mr. Weasley was forced to modify several memories before he could escape from the policemen, but refused to answer _Daily Prophet_ questions about why he had involved the Ministry in such an undignified and potentially embarrassing scene._

"And there's a picture, Weasley!" Malfoy said when he'd finished reading. "A picture of your parents outside their house—if you can call it a house! Your mother could do with losing a bit of weight, couldn't she?"

"So could your head," Lucy quipped.

"Get stuffed, Malfoy," Harry added. "C'mon, Ron—"

"Oh, yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you, Potter?" Malfoy said. "So, tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"

Lucy and Hermione grabbed Ron's robes to stop him from running at Malfoy.

"You know _your_ mother, Malfoy?" Harry said. "That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"

Malfoy dropped his grin immediately. "Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter!" he shouted.

"Keep your damn mouth shut, then," Harry said, and he motioned for the others to follow him into the Great Hall.

There was a loud bang, and Lucy felt a curse fly right between her and Harry. She and Harry whipped around, but there was another loud bang.

"OH, NO, YOU DON'T, LADDIE!" a voice shouted from the marble staircase. Professor Moody was limping down to them, his wand out and pointing to where Malfoy had been standing. But instead of Malfoy, there was now a white ferret lying on the floor of the entrance hall. Nobody said a word as Moody stepped off the last stair and walked over to the ferret.

Moody looked at Harry with his normal eye and asked, "Did he get you?"

"No," Harry replied, "missed."

"LEAVE IT!" Moody yelled without turning around, causing Lucy to jump slightly.

"Leave—what?" Harry asked, looking confused.

"Not you—him!" Moody said, pointing at Crabbe with his thumb, who froze, bent over like he was about to pick up the ferret. Evidently, Moody's other eye could see out the back of his head.

Moody turned and walked over to where the ferret was. It started to run away, but Moody waved his wand. "I don't think so!" he snarled. He made the ferret rise into the air, and then let it drop onto the floor. "I don't like people who attack when their opponent's back is turned. Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do—" He continued to bounce the ferret throughout the hall, sending it higher and higher into the air. "Never—do—that—again—"

"Professor Moody!" Professor McGonagall was walking down the staircase, carrying a stack of books and looking quite shocked.

"Hello, Professor McGonagall," Moody said conversationally.

"Wh-what are you doing?" she asked.

"Teaching," Moody stated simply.

"Teach—Moody, _is that a student_?" Professor McGonagall cried in alarm, dropping the books she was carrying.

"Yep," Moody replied.

"No!" Professor McGonagall gasped, running the rest of the way down the stairs. She pulled her wand out and waved it at the ferret.

Malfoy reappeared, sprawled out on the floor. He pushed himself back onto his feet, looking to be in some pain.

"Moody, we _never_ use transfiguration as a punishment!" Professor McGonagall scolded. "Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that?"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," Moody said, "but I thought a good sharp _shock_—"

"We give detentions, Moody!" Professor McGonagall corrected sharply. "Or speak to the offender's Head of House!"

"I'll do that, then," Moody said, turning to look at Malfoy. Malfoy muttered something that included the phrase _my father_, and Moody chuckled. "Oh, yeah?" he said. "Well, I know your father of old, boy.… You tell him Moody's keeping a close eye on his son—you tell him that from me.… Now, your Head of House'll be Snape, will it?"

"Yes," Malfoy answered.

"Another old friend," Moody said. "I've been looking forward to a chat with old Snape.… Come on, you.…" He grabbed Malfoy by his arm and led him away to the dungeons.

Professor McGonagall used her wand to collect her books and walked off without a word, while the rest of the crowd that had gathered began to disperse.

Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione turned and went into the Great Hall.

"Don't talk to me," Ron said to his friends as they sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Why not?" Hermione asked.

"Because I want to fix that in my memory forever," Ron replied. "Draco Malfoy, the amazing bouncing ferret.…"

Lucy, Harry, and Hermione laughed, and they all helped themselves to dinner.

"He could have really hurt Malfoy, though," Hermione commented. "It was good, really, that Professor McGonagall stopped it—"

"Hermione!" Ron said. "You're ruining the best moment of my life!"

"If that's the best moment of your life, I'm worried for you," Lucy said.

Hermione, meanwhile, began to eat her dinner very quickly again.

"Don't tell me you're going back to the library this evening?" Harry asked her.

"Got to," Hermione replied. "Loads to do."

"But," Harry said, "you told us Professor Vector—"

"It's not schoolwork," Hermione stopped him. It only took her a few minutes to finish her meal, and then she was off again.

Fred, George, and the twins' friend Lee Jordan joined them a moment later.

"Moody!" Fred said, taking Hermione's vacated seat. "How cool is he?"

"Beyond cool," George confirmed, sitting next to Lucy.

"Super cool," Lee added, taking the spot on George's other side. "We had him this afternoon."

"What was it like?" Harry asked.

Fred, George, and Lee all looked at each other before answering.

"Never had a lesson like it," Fred said.

"He _knows_, man," Lee said.

"Knows what?" Ron asked.

"Knows what it's like to be out there _doing_ it," George replied. Lucy snorted, and George smirked at her.

"Doing what?" Harry pressed.

"Fighting the Dark Arts," Fred said.

"He's seen it all," George added.

"'Mazing," Lee finished.

Ron pulled his schedule out of his backpack and examined it. "We haven't got him 'til Thursday!" he wailed.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: We find out quite a bit about Jeremy in this chapter. And there's a secret that he's keeping from Lucy...**_


	9. 9: DADA

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 9 – DADA**

The fourth-year Gryffindors couldn't wait for their first Defense Against the Dark Arts class, but they had to make it through Tuesday and Wednesday first, which included their first Potions class. Snape seemed to be in a worse mood than ever before, and when Neville melted his cauldron during class, Snape gave him detention disemboweling horned toads.

"Neville!" Hermione exclaimed when Neville had entered the common room the night after his detention; his hands were covered in toad guts. "Neville, come here. I'll help you—" She gestured to Neville to join her on the couch. She began to teach him the Scourging Charm to get rid of the bits that were stuck under his fingernails.

"You know why Snape's in such a foul mood, don't you?" Ron said.

"Yeah," Harry replied. "Moody. I reckon Snape's a bit scared of him, you know."

"Why would Snape be afraid of Moody?" Lucy asked. "I guess Moody can be a bit intimidating—"

"Imagine if Moody turned Snape into a horned toad," Ron said, "and bounced him all around his dungeon.…"

Lucy, Harry, and Neville laughed.

**~LJ:D~**

Thursday finally arrived, and as soon as they were done with lunch, the Gryffindor fourth-years hurried up to the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom well before the bell rang. Hermione was the only one missing.

"Where's Hermione?" Lucy asked, standing on her toes and looking around. "She's going to be late—"

Hermione joined them a moment later and said, "Been in the—"

"Library," Harry finished for her. "C'mon, quick, or we won't get decent seats."

Harry and Ron went into the room first, followed by Lucy and Hermione, and they took seats in the front row. The rest of the class filled in behind them. Everyone retrieved their textbooks and waited quietly for Moody to show up.

They heard his wooden leg clunking down the hallway a few minutes later, and he entered the classroom and walked to the front of the room.

"You can put those away," he told them. "Those books. You won't need them." He took a seat at his desk and pulled out a list. He began to take attendance, calling out each student's name and looking at them with his magical eye.

"Right, then," he began when he'd finished roll call. "I've had a letter from Professor Lupin about this class. Seems you've had a pretty thorough grounding in tackling Dark creatures—you've covered boggarts, Red Caps, hinkypunks, grindylows, Kappas, and werewolves, is that right?"

The class nodded and murmured in confirmation.

"But you're behind—very behind—on dealing with curses," Moody continued. "So, I'm here to bring you up to scratch on what wizards can do to each other. I've got one year to teach you how to deal with Dark—"

"What, aren't you staying?" Ron interrupted.

Moody turned to look at Ron for a moment before a smile spread across his face. Ron looked relieved that Moody was not angry.

"You'll be Arthur Weasley's son, eh?" Moody said. "Your father got me out of a very tight corner a few days ago.… Yeah, I'm staying just the one year. Special favor to Dumbledore.… One year, and then back to my quiet retirement." He let out a loud laugh.

"So—straight into it," he continued. "Curses. They come in many strengths and forms. Now, according to the Ministry of Magic, I'm supposed to teach you countercurses and leave it at that. I'm not supposed to show you what illegal Dark curses look like until you're in your sixth year. You're not supposed to be old enough to deal with them until then.

"However, Professor Dumbledore's got a higher opinion of your nerves. He reckons you can cope, and I say, the sooner you know what you're up against, the better. How are you supposed to defend yourself against something you've never seen? A wizard who's about to put an illegal curse on you isn't going to tell you what he's going to do. He's not going to do it nice and polite to your face. You need to put that away, Miss Brown, when I'm talking."

Lucy turned her head quickly to see Lavender blushing and shoving something back into her backpack. _How could she not be paying attention to this?_ Lucy thought to herself.

"So…" Moody began again, "do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by Wizarding law?"

Lucy was surprised to see multiple hands go into the air. Moody pointed to Ron first.

"Er," Ron started, "my dad told me about one.… Is it called the Imperius Curse or something?"

"Ah, yes," Moody said, nodding. "Your father _would_ know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse." He stood up and took a glass jar out from his desk drawer. Inside the jar were three black spiders. Moody reached down into the jar, caught one of them, and held it out on the palm of his hand. "_Imperio_," he said, pointing his wand at the spider.

The spider began to perform acrobatics, right on Moody's desk. It swung on threads of its own web and then did a back flip onto the desk before beginning to tap dance on two of its legs. Everyone was laughing.

"Think it's funny, do you?" Moody said in a completely serious voice. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you?"

The students stopped laughing and looked at their teacher warily.

"Total control," Moody continued, as the spider rolled around on the desktop. "I could make it jump out the window, drown itself, or throw itself down one of your throats.… Years back, there were a lot of witches and wizards being controlled by the Imperius Curse. Some job for the Ministry, trying to sort out who was being forced to act and who was acting of their own free will.

"The Imperius Curse _can_ be fought. I'll be teaching you how, but it takes real strength of character. Not everyone's got it. Better avoid being hit with it if you can. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he suddenly shouted, causing his class to jump.

Moody picked up the spider and put it back into the jar. "Anyone else know one?" he asked the class. "Another illegal curse?"

Only a couple hands were in the air this time—including, to everyone's surprise, Neville.

"Yes?" Moody said, calling on Neville.

"There's one—the Cruciatus Curse," Neville responded.

"Your name's Longbottom?" Moody asked, and Neville nodded. Moody reached down in the jar and picked up the next spider, placing it on the desk. "The Cruciatus Curse," he said. "Needs to be a bit bigger for you to get the idea." He pointed his wand at the spider and said, "_Engorgio_!"

The spider grew larger, and Ron pushed his chair backwards, putting as much space between himself and Moody's desk as possible.

Moody pointed his wand at the spider again and said, "_Crucio_!"

The spider began to twitch violently, rolling onto its back and rocking back and forth. Moody kept his wand on it, and it continued to shake in what was obviously pain.

"Stop it!" Hermione shouted suddenly.

Lucy looked at her to see her staring at Neville, whose eyes had widened. He had gone pale and looked absolutely disturbed. Moody finally released the spider from the curse, and the spider seemed to relax a little bit.

"_Reducio_," Moody murmured. The spider returned to regular size, and he put it back into the jar. "Pain," he explained. "You don't need thumbscrews or knives to torture someone if you can perform the Cruciatus Curse.… That one was very popular once, too. Right—anyone know any others?"

Hermione was the only one to raise her hand this time.

"Yes?" Moody called on her.

"_Avada Kedavra_," she said quietly.

There was an uneasy silence that settled around the room.

"Ah," Moody said. "Yes, the last and worst. _Avada Kedavra_—the Killing Curse." He reached into the jar once more and took out the last spider. When he placed the spider down, it tried to escape from him, and he pointed his wand at it quickly. "_Avada Kedavra_!" he shouted.

A bright green light flashed, and the spider had fallen onto the desk, dead. Lucy felt herself breathing heavily, although she couldn't place why.

"Not nice," Moody said. "Not pleasant. There's no countercurse—there's no blocking it. Only one known person has ever survived it, and he's sitting right in front of me." He looked down at Harry, and Lucy felt her hands begin to shake.

She hadn't been in the house when her parents had been killed by You-Know-Who. She had been sent away for her own safety, when her parents had known they were being hunted. She hadn't ever really thought about how they had died. One curse, and You-Know-Who had killed them. Then, when he turned on Harry, the curse had failed.

"_Avada Kedavra_'s a curse that needs a powerful bit of magic behind it," Moody said. "You could all get your wands out now, point them at me, and say the words, and I doubt I'd get so much as a nosebleed. But that doesn't matter; I'm not here to teach you how to do it.

"Now, if there's no countercurse, why am I showing you? _Because you've got to know_. You've got to appreciate what the worst is. You don't want to find yourself in a situation where you're facing it. CONSTANT VIGILANCE!" he barked again, making them all jump.

"Now—those three curses—_Avada Kedavra_, Imperius, and Cruciatus—are known as the Unforgivable Curses," Moody told them. "The use of any one of them on a fellow human being is enough to earn a life sentence in Azkaban. That's what you're up against. That's what I've got to teach you to fight. You need preparing. You need arming. Most of all, you need to practice _constant, never-ceasing vigilance_. Get out your quills—copy this down—"

**~LJ:D~**

Moody had the fourth-years taking notes for the rest of the hour about the Unforgivable Curses. Nobody spoke as class finished up, but when the bell rang and Moody let them leave, they all broke out into conversation. Most of their class was in awe of Moody.

"Hurry up," Hermione said to Lucy, Harry, and Ron.

"Not the ruddy library again," Ron groaned.

"No," Hermione replied. "Neville."

Neville was quite far ahead of them, and Hermione hurried to catch up to him, followed by the other three. He was standing in the middle of the hall, staring at the wall across from him. He still looked horrified at what had happened in class.

"Neville?" Hermione asked.

"Oh, hello," Neville said, his voice shaky. "Interesting lesson, wasn't it? I wonder what's for dinner. I'm—I'm starving, aren't you?"

"Neville, are you all right?" Lucy asked.

"Oh, yes, I'm fine," Neville said unconvincingly. "Very interesting dinner—I mean lesson—what's for eating?"

Ron started, "Neville, what—?"

They heard clunking behind them and turned to see Moody coming towards them. They all looked at him apprehensively.

"It's all right, sonny," he said to Neville in a surprisingly gentle voice. "Why don't you come up to my office? Come on… we can have a cup of tea.…"

Neville didn't say anything, looking at Moody with a terrified expression, and Moody turned to Harry.

"You all right, are you, Potter?" he asked.

"Yes," Harry replied, almost fiercely.

Moody looked him over for a moment. "You've got to know," he said. "It seems harsh, maybe, but_ you've got to know_. No point pretending—well—come on, Longbottom. I've got some books that might interest you." He put his hand on Neville's shoulder and steered him away.

"What was that about?" Ron asked.

"I don't know," Hermione said, frowning.

"Come on, let's get down to dinner," Lucy said.

They set off for the Great Hall.

"Some lesson, though, eh?" Ron said as they walked. "Fred and George were right, weren't they? He really knows his stuff, Moody, doesn't he? When he did _Avada Kedavra_—the way the spider just _died_—just snuffed it right—" Ron stopped abruptly as he noticed the odd look on Harry's face.

They reminded silent the rest of the way through the castle.

**~LJ:D~**

In the Great Hall, Hermione gobbled up her dinner and left for the library. Harry and Ron talked about Quidditch, but Lucy didn't join in. She was still thinking about her parents' terrible fate. When they were finished, the three of them headed back up to Gryffindor Tower.

"Wouldn't Moody and Dumbledore be in trouble with the Ministry if they knew we'd seen the curses?" Harry asked when they neared the portrait of the Fat Lady.

"Yeah, probably," Ron said, "but Dumbledore's always done things his way, hasn't he? Besides, Moody's been getting in trouble for years, I reckon. Attacks first and asks questions later—look at his dustbins. Balderdash."

The portrait swung open, and the three of them climbed into the common room.

"Shall we get our Divination stuff, then?" Harry asked Ron.

"I s'ppose," Ron replied. "We'll be right back," he added to Lucy, who waved them off.

"Lu!" George called.

Lucy smiled and crossed the room to join him and Fred at a table. "Hi," she said, slipping into the chair between them. "What are you two working on so secretively over here?"

"This?" Fred asked, rolling up the parchment. "This is nothing. I'll be back in a few." He stood up and went over to where Angelina Johnson, another sixth-year and a Chaser on the Gryffindor Quidditch team, was sitting.

Lucy gave George a puzzled look.

"My brother seems to fancy Angelina over there," George explained quietly. "Actually, he's fancied her for the past few years, but this year he seems determined to win her over."

"I see," Lucy said, watching as Fred sat down next to Angelina and said something that made her laugh.

"So—have you had a Defense Against the Dark Arts class yet?" George asked.

"Yeah, just today," Lucy answered. She watched as Harry and Ron reentered the common room and sat down at their own table to work on their Divination homework.

"And?" George prompted. "What did you think? He really knows his stuff, doesn't he?"

"He showed us the Unforgivable Curses," Lucy replied. "It was horrible. One curse, and he killed this spider right in front of us."

"The Killing Curse?" George asked. "Well, at least now you know what it looks like."

"That curse killed my parents," Lucy said hollowly. "I knew they were dead.… I just never realized it was that horrible."

"I thought you didn't know who your parents were," George said, frowning.

Lucy looked up at him quickly. "I know some things about them," she said carefully. George was looking at her with a mixture of concern and curiosity in his expression, and she said, "I should catch up with Harry and Ron. I'll talk to you later."

She got up and hurried over to Ron's and Harry's table before George could ask her anymore questions. "What are you two working on?" she asked as she sat down next to Harry.

"Divination," Harry replied, showing her a planetary chart. "We have to come up with predictions about what's going to happen to us for the next month according to our charts."

"That sounds terrible," Lucy said. "I think I'll work on Potions."

**~LJ:D~**

The three Gryffindors were quiet for the better part of an hour. When Lucy finished her Potions essay, she sat back and watched Harry and Ron struggle over their Divination homework.

"I haven't got a clue what this lot's supposed to mean," Harry said eventually, dropping his quill onto the table.

"You know, I think it's back to the old Divination standby," Ron said.

"What—make it up?" Harry asked.

"Yeah," Ron said.

"Do you really think you could bullshit enough stuff for a whole month?" Lucy asked, crossing her legs underneath her and leaning forward, resting her elbows on the table.

"Sure, how hard could it be?" Ron said. He pushed his stuff aside, pulled a fresh piece of parchment towards him, and began to write. "Next Monday, I am likely to develop a cough, owing to the unlucky conjunction of Mars and Jupiter." He looked up at Harry and added, "You know her—just put in loads of misery. She'll lap it up."

"Just say that you'll see the Grim and die, Harry," Lucy giggled.

"Right," Harry said, smirking. He also took out a new piece of parchment and began to write. "Okay—on Monday, _I_ will be in danger of—er—burns."

"Yeah, you will be," Ron said, nodding. "We're seeing the skrewts again on Monday. Okay, Tuesday, _I'll_—erm—"

"Lose a treasured possession," Harry said as he looked through his Divination textbook.

"Good one," Ron commented, scribbling on his parchment. "Because of—erm—Mercury."

"Why don't you get stabbed in the back by someone you thought was your friend?" Lucy suggested.

"Yeah… cool…" Harry muttered as he scrawled onto his homework, "because—Venus is in the twelfth house."

"And on Wednesday, I think I'll come off worse in a fight," Ron said.

"Aaah, I was going to have a fight," Harry said. "Okay, I'll lose a bet."

"Yeah, you'll be betting I'll win my fight," Ron said.

**~LJ:D~**

For the next hour, Lucy helped Harry and Ron to come up with unfortunate events that could happen to them in the next month. Meanwhile, the common room steadily emptied as people went to bed.

Crookshanks and Evie both joined the three of them at their table. Evie sat in Lucy's lap, and Crookshanks curled up on an empty chair.

Eventually, the common room was empty except for the three of them and Fred and George, who were sitting at the same table as earlier and whispering to each other. They would occasionally look around the room to make sure they weren't being spied on. After George glanced up and saw Harry looking at them, they decided to go up to bed, saying good night to the other three.

Harry and Ron were nearly finished when the portrait hole opened, and Hermione climbed into the common room, carrying a box and a sheet of parchment in her hands.

"Hello," she greeted them, joining them at the table and setting the box down. "I've just finished!"

"So have I!" Ron stated, putting his homework down and looking proud.

Hermione sat down on the same seat as Crookshanks and looked over Ron's parchment. "Not going to have a very good month, are you?" she asked as Crookshanks got up and climbed into her lap.

"Ah, well… at least I'm forewarned," Ron replied, stretching his arms over his head.

"You seem to be drowning twice," Hermione pointed out dryly.

"Oh, am I?" Ron said, looking over his work. "I'd better change one of them to getting trampled by a raging hippogriff."

"Don't you think it's a bit obvious you've made these up?" Hermione asked.

"How dare you!" Ron exclaimed, pretending to be upset. "We've been working like house-elves in here!" Hermione gave him a look, and he hurried to add, "It's just an expression."

"And—done," Harry said, finishing his last few words and putting his quill down. "What's in the box?" he asked Hermione.

"Funny you should ask," Hermione said. She took the lid off the box and pushed it across the table, so the others could look inside it. There were about fifty multicolored pin buttons with the same letters written on them: S.P.E.W.

"_Spew_?" Harry asked. He picked up one of the buttons to look more closely at it. "What's this about?"

"Not _spew_," Hermione said. "It's S-P-E-W; stands for the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare."

"Never heard of it," Lucy and Ron said at the same time.

"Well, of course you haven't," Hermione said. "I've only just started it."

"Yeah?" Ron asked. "How many members have you got?"

"Well—if you three join—four," Hermione replied.

"Do you really think we want to walk around wearing badges saying _spew_?" Ron asked, frowning.

"S-P-E-W!" Hermione corrected. "I was going to put _Stop the Outrageous Abuse of Our Fellow Magical Creatures and Campaign for a Change in Their Legal Status_—but it wouldn't fit. So that's the heading of our manifesto." She showed them the parchment she was holding in her hand. "I've been researching it thoroughly in the library. Elf enslavement goes back centuries. I can't believe no one's done anything about it before now."

"Hermione—open your ears," Ron said. "They. Like. It. They _like_ being enslaved!"

"Our short term aims," Hermione continued, raising the volume of her voice, "are to secure house-elves fair wages and working conditions. Our long-term aims include changing the law about non-wand use and trying to get an elf into the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, because they're shockingly underrepresented."

"How do we do all this?" Harry asked warily.

"We start by recruiting members," Hermione explained, smiling. "I thought two Sickles to join—that buys a badge—and the proceeds can fund our leaflet campaign. You're treasurer, Ron—I've got you a collecting tin upstairs—and Harry, you're secretary, so you might want to write down everything I'm saying now, as a record of our first meeting."

Lucy, Harry, and Ron stared at Hermione, not quite sure what to say, but after a few moments, they heard a tapping on the window.

"Hedwig!" Harry exclaimed, seeing his snowy owl sitting on the window sill. He jumped up and vaulted across the room to open the window and let Hedwig into the common room.

Hedwig flew inside and landed on their table.

"About time!" Harry said, grinning as Hedwig held her leg out to him.

"She's got an answer!" Ron said, sitting up higher in his seat.

Harry hurried to untie the letter from his owl and sat back down in his chair. Hedwig hopped onto his leg, hooting cheerfully.

"What does it say?" Hermione asked, and Harry began to read out loud.

_Harry—_

_I'm flying north immediately. This news about your scar is the latest in a series of strange rumors that have reached me here. If it hurts again, go straight to Dumbledore—they're saying he's got Mad-Eye out of retirement, which means he's reading the signs, even if no one else is._

_I'll be in touch soon. My best to Lucy, Ron, and Hermione. Keep your eyes open, Harry._

_Sirius_

"He's flying north?" Hermione asked. "He's coming _back_?"

"Dumbledore's reading what signs?" Ron said. "Harry—what's up?"

Harry had hit himself in the forehead, looking upset and jostling Hedwig, who flew off his knee. "Damn it! I shouldn't've told him!" Harry said.

"What are you on about?" Ron asked.

"It's made him think he's got to come back!" Harry answered, hitting the tabletop with his fist. "Coming back because he thinks I'm in trouble! There's nothing wrong with me! And I haven't got anything for _you_," he snapped at Hedwig. "You'll have to go up to the Owlery if you want food."

"Harry," Lucy scolded as Hedwig hooted angrily and took off out the window.

Hermione also said, "Harry—"

"I'm going to bed," Harry cut her off. "See you in the morning." He packed up his Divination homework and stomped up the boys' staircase.

"What in the bloody hell was that all about?" Ron asked, staring after his friend.

"He just doesn't want Sirius getting caught," Lucy said. "If anything happens, Harry's going to think it's his fault. He's good at thinking things are his fault—"

"I suppose I should go up and make sure he's okay," Ron said. He slowly gathered up his Divination homework and left the common room, as well.

Lucy turned to Hermione.

"Should we go up to bed, then?" Hermione asked.

"I suppose. Here," Lucy said, reaching into her bag and pulling out two Sickles. "Give me one of those buttons, would you?"

"Buttons?" Hermione asked blankly.

"Badges—whatever you call them," Lucy said, smirking.

Hermione stared at her for a moment before grinning and holding out the box. "Choose your own color," she said.

Lucy picked out a bright orange badge for herself. "This is going on my backpack," she said, pinning it immediately to her bag.

When she looked back at Hermione, she saw her friend was beaming.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: Lucy's reaction to finding out about the Killing Curse was important. She always knew that her parents were dead, but she had no idea how they'd died. I don't think she'd even really thought about the how too much.**_

_**Fred fancying Angelina is something that I expanded on in these stories. In the books, Fred obviously asks her to the Yule Ball, but it's never really stated if they go as friends or as more. So I've taken the creative liberty to say yes, they have more than friendly feelings for each other.**_


	10. 10: The Visitors Arrive

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 10 – The Visitors Arrive**

The next morning, Lucy and Hermione went down to the common room to find Ron waiting for them alone.

"Where's Harry?" Lucy asked.

Ron shrugged. "He was gone when I woke up," he replied.

"Gone?" Hermione repeated. "I wonder where he went.…"

"Well, there's no point in sitting around waiting," Ron said. "Let's go down to breakfast. He'll turn up."

So, the three Gryffindors left the tower and went down to the Great Hall. They sat down at their table and started to fix themselves breakfast.

A few minutes later, Harry joined them.

"Good morning," Lucy said as Harry slid onto the bench next to Ron. "Where were you?"

"I was sending Sirius a letter back," Harry replied. "I told him that I was probably imagining my scar hurting and that he shouldn't come all the way up here when there's nothing wrong."

"That was a _lie_, Harry," Hermione said fiercely. "You _didn't_ imagine your scar hurting, and you know it."

"So what?" Harry shot back. "He's _not_ going back to Azkaban because of me."

"Drop it," Ron said swiftly when Hermione opened her mouth.

Hermione glared at him but didn't say anything else.

**~LJ:D~**

Over the next few days, Lucy watched as Harry worried about Sirius. Granted, she was worried, too; Sirius was also _her_ godfather. The only thing that could distract Harry from his thoughts was their class work, which was steadily getting more difficult.

About a week later, the Gryffindor fourth-years found themselves in Defense Against the Dark Arts class when Moody made a surprising announcement.

"Today I'll be putting all of you under the Imperius Curse," he said, and the students exchanged looks of shock. "Everyone, please stand up." He pulled his wand out and waved it. The desks and chairs flew over to the walls, leaving the middle of the room clear.

"But—but you said it's illegal, Professor," Hermione stammered. "You said—to use it against another human was—"

"Dumbledore wants you taught what it feels like," Moody interrupted. "If you'd rather learn the hard way—when someone's putting it on you, so they can control you completely—fine by me. You're excused. Off you go."

Hermione blushed, looking embarrassed.

"That was a bit rude," Lucy said aloud, frowning at their professor.

"Is that right?" Moody asked, turned to her. "Well, why don't you go first, Jones?" He gestured for her to step up into the middle of the room, so she did. Moody pointed his wand at her. "_Imperio_!" he said.

Lucy felt herself being filled with a wonderfully calm feeling. All of her worries vanished, and all she cared about was staying this relaxed forever. Then she heard a small voice talking to her in her head.

_Do some cartwheels around the room.… Just a couple of cartwheels.…_

Lucy immediately complied, doing a couple cartwheels. She could hear some giggling around her, but she couldn't bring herself to care in the slightest.

After going around the room a few times, she stopped. The small voice stopped talking, and she no longer felt the warm, calm feeling that she'd been experiencing. Her classmates were laughing, and she felt her cheeks burn with embarrassment.

"Hm," Moody grunted. "That's all, Jones. Thomas, you're next."

Lucy went over to join Harry, Ron, and Hermione, and Dean stepped forward.

"What was it like?" Hermione whispered anxiously.

"It was… really weird," Lucy replied.

Moody, meanwhile, had cast the Imperius Curse on Dean and made him hop around the room, singing the national anthem. While many of the students laughed at Dean, Lucy didn't. After the Imperius Curse had been used on her, she didn't find the things they were doing under the influence of the curse to be very funny.

Moody put the curse on every single person in the class, and nobody was able to fight it off. A small part of Lucy felt glad that she wasn't the only one who hadn't been able to throw the curse off.

Harry was the last one to go.

"Potter, you next," Moody said, and Harry stepped up in the middle of the room. "_Imperio_!" Moody pointed his wand at Harry.

A few seconds passed, and Harry bent his knees, looking like he was going to jump up onto a desk in front of him. Then he froze in the position for a few moments.

"What's happening?" Ron hissed, looking concerned.

Then Harry seemed to try and jump onto the desk without jumping properly, and instead he banged his knees into the desk, which flipped over.

"Now, _that's_ more like it!" Moody said, lowering his wand. "Look at that, you lot—Potter fought! He fought it, and he damn near beat it! We'll try that again, Potter, and the rest of you, pay attention—watch his eyes. That's where you see it—very good, Potter, very good indeed! They'll have trouble controlling _you_!"

Moody insisted on putting Harry under the Imperius Curse four more times, which was when Harry was able to throw off the curse entirely. Then they spent the rest of the class taking notes on how to throw off the curse. When the bell rang, Moody set them homework and let the class leave.

"The way he talks, you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second," Harry said as they walked down the corridor.

"Yeah, I know," Ron said. "Talk about paranoid.… No wonder they were glad to get shot of him at the Ministry. Did you hear him telling Seamus what he did to that witch who shouted _boo_ behind him on April Fools' Day?" There was a pause, and Ron added, "Also, when are we supposed to read up on resisting the Imperius Curse with everything else we have to do?"

"Keep whining about it, Ron," Lucy sniggered. "I'm sure that'll do the trick."

**~LJ:D~**

The fourth-years' work load continued to increase, a fact that they were not taking lightly. At the end of their next Transfiguration class, Professor McGonagall gave them so much homework that the class complained loudly about all they had to do.

"You are now entering a most important phase of your magical education!" Professor McGonagall snapped. "Your Ordinary Wizarding Levels are drawing closer—"

"We don't take O.W.L.s 'til fifth year!" Dean protested.

"Maybe not, Thomas, but believe me, you need all the preparation you can get!" Professor McGonagall said sharply. "Miss Granger remains the only person in this class who has managed to turn a hedgehog into a satisfactory pincushion. I might remind you that _your_ pincushion, Thomas, still curls up in fright if anyone approaches it with a pin!"

Professor McGonagall wasn't the only one who was giving them work at the end of every class. Lucy was receiving essays in History of Magic and Muggle Studies every week, Professor Vector was giving them number charts to work on at the end of every class hour, and Professor Flitwick had assigned reading from three separate textbooks to prepare the class for Summoning Charms. Snape, meanwhile, had been hinting at poisoning them and had them researching antidotes.

Hagrid also wanted to give them extra work; he suggested having students come down to his hut every few nights to observe the skrewts' behavior.

"I will _not_," Malfoy said when Hagrid told them of his plan. "I see enough of these foul things during lessons, thanks."

"Yeh'll do wha' yer told," Hagrid said, "or I'll be takin' a leaf outta Professor Moody's book.… I hear yeh make a good ferret, Malfoy."

Half of the class laughed at this, while Malfoy scowled but didn't say anything else.

**~LJ:D~**

At the end of that lesson, Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione cheerfully walked up to the castle. They climbed the front steps and entered the entrance hall to find a large crowd gathering at the foot of the marble staircase.

"What's going on?" Lucy asked, not able to see what everyone else was looking at.

Ron stood on his tiptoes. "There's a sign up there!" he reported. "_Triwizard Tournament: The delegations from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at six o'clock on Friday the thirtieth of October. Lessons will end half an hour early._"

"Brilliant!" Harry cut in. "It's Potions last thing on Friday! Snape won't have time to poison us all!"

"_Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories_," Ron continued to read, "_and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the Welcoming Feast._"

"Only a week away!" Ernie Macmillan, a fourth-year Hufflepuff, exclaimed as he pushed his way through the crowd. "I wonder if Cedric knows? Think I'll go and tell him—" He hurried off.

"Cedric?" Ron repeated, looking confused.

"Diggory," Lucy reminded him.

"He must be entering the tournament," Harry said.

"That idiot, Hogwarts champion?" Ron asked incredulously.

The four of them forced their way through the crowd to get to the stairs.

"He's not an idiot," Lucy said as they began climbing up. "You just don't like him because he beat Gryffindor at Quidditch."

"I've heard he's a really good student," Hermione added, "_and_ he's a prefect."

"You two only like him because he's _handsome_," Ron sneered.

"Excuse me, but I don't like people just because they're handsome," Hermione said, folding her arms over her chest.

"_Lockhart_!" Ron hissed, trying to cover it with a fake cough.

"Being handsome never hurt anybody," Lucy said, and Harry and Ron looked at her in surprise. "What? I'm not going to sit here and pretend like I don't think he's attractive, because he totally is."

**~LJ:D~**

In the week that led up to the thirtieth, the castle was scrubbed from top to bottom. Portraits were wiped clean of dust and grime, and the suits of armor were polished and oiled to stop the squeaking. Filch was giving out severe punishments to anyone who tracked dirt into the building.

When Lucy and her friends went down to breakfast on the Friday that the visitors were arriving, they were surprised to see that the Great Hall had been decorated from the previous night. The four house banners were hanging from the walls on either side of the house tables. Behind the staff table was another banner, this one black with the school crest on it.

Ron led the way to the Gryffindor table and made to sit by his twin brothers, who were by themselves away from everyone else.

"It's a bummer, all right," George was saying to Fred, "but if he won't talk to us in person, we'll have to send him the letter after all. Or we'll stuff it into his hand. He can't avoid us forever."

"Who's avoiding you?" Ron asked as he sat down.

Harry sat down next to him. Lucy took the seat next to George, with Hermione on her other side.

"Wish you would," Fred said irritably.

"Fred," Lucy admonished.

"What's a bummer?" Ron asked, looking at George.

"Having a nosy git like you for a brother," George replied.

"_George_," Lucy scolded.

George shrugged and smiled at her.

"You two got any ideas on the Triwizard Tournament yet?" Harry asked, changing the subject. "Thought any more about trying to enter?"

"I asked McGonagall how the champions are chosen, but she wasn't telling," George said. "She just told me to shut up and get on with transfiguring my raccoon."

"Wonder what the tasks are going to be?" Ron mused. "You know, I bet we could do them, Harry. We've done dangerous stuff before—"

"Not in front of a panel of judges, you haven't," Fred pointed out. "McGonagall says the champions get awarded points according to how well they've done the tasks."

"Who are the judges?" Harry asked.

"Well, the heads of the participating schools are always on the panel," Hermione said, and everyone looked at her, "because all three of them were injured during the tournament in 1792 when a cockatrice the champions were supposed to be catching went on a rampage."

Everyone continued to stare at her, and she sighed, "It's all in _Hogwarts, A History_. Though, of course, that book's not _entirely_ reliable. _A _Revised_ History of Hogwarts_ would be a more accurate title. Or _A Highly Biased and _Selective_ History of Hogwarts, Which Glosses Over the Nastier Aspects of the School_."

"What are you on about?" Ron asked exasperatedly.

"_House-elves_!" Hermione cried. "Not once, in over a thousand pages, does _Hogwarts, A History_ mention that we are all colluding in the oppression of a hundred slaves!"

Harry, Ron, and Fred busied themselves with their breakfast, avoiding Hermione's gaze. Hermione's S.P.E.W. campaign hadn't been going well, but it didn't deter her; if anything, it made her try even harder.

"Listen, have you ever been down to the kitchens, Hermione?" George asked.

"No, of course not," Hermione replied. "I hardly think students are supposed to—"

"Well, _we_ have," George said, gesturing between himself and Fred. "We've gone down there loads of times to nick food. We've met them, and they're _happy_. They think they've got the best job in the world—"

"That's because they're uneducated and brainwashed!" Hermione seethed.

Before she could continue, however, the Great Hall was filled with owls swooping in with the morning mail. Fred and George took the opportunity to carry on their discussion about the Triwizard Tournament.

Harry looked up, and his mouth fell open, watching as Hedwig flew down and landed on his shoulder, looking tired. Harry pulled the note off her leg and read it, motioning for Ron to lean in to read over his shoulder. When they were done, Harry passed it wordlessly across the table for Lucy and Hermione to look at.

_Nice try, Harry._

_I'm back in the country and well hidden. I want you to keep me posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts. Don't use Hedwig, keeping changing owls, and don't worry about me, just watch out for yourself. Don't forget what I said about your scar._

_Sirius_

"Well, I don't know what you expected," Lucy said, handing the note back to Harry.

"Why d'you have to keep changing owls?" Ron asked.

"Hedwig will attract too much attention," Hermione replied. "She stands out. A snowy owl that keeps returning to wherever he's hiding—I mean, they're not native birds, are they?"

Harry folded up the note and stroked Hedwig's feathers. "Thanks, Hedwig," he said.

She hooted, took a drink out of Harry's pumpkin juice, and then took off again.

**~LJ:D~**

Throughout the day, Hogwarts was abuzz with anticipation for the visitors' arrival that night. It was difficult to pay attention in class, and when lessons ended half an hour early, the fourth-year Gryffindors were more than excited to leave the dungeons earlier than normal.

Lucy, Hermione, Sally-Anne, Lavender, and Parvati rushed up to their dormitory to drop off their books. Lavender and Parvati were anxiously checking their reflections in the mirror, fixing up their hair. Then all five of them grabbed their cloaks and hats and went with the rest of the Gryffindors down to the entrance hall.

Professor McGonagall was shuffling the Gryffindors into a line by year. "Weasley, straighten your hat," she ordered. "Miss Patil, take that ridiculous thing out of your hair."

Parvati pulled her hair accessory from her braid and shoved it into her robe pocket, scowling, and Professor McGonagall moved onto the fifth-years.

When they were finally ready, Professor McGonagall stood in front of them all. "Follow me, please," she instructed the Gryffindors. "First-years in front—no pushing—"

She led them out the front doors and down the stone steps. They gathered on the grounds in front of the castle, with the first-years in front and seventh-years in back. Lucy stood between Hermione and Neville.

"Nearly six," Ron said. "How d'you reckon they're coming? The train?"

"I doubt it," Hermione said.

"How then? Broomsticks?" Harry suggested.

"I don't think so," Hermione said. "Not from that far away—"

"A Portkey?" Ron said. "Or they could Apparate—maybe you're allowed to do it under seventeen wherever they come from?"

"Only the students who are seventeen and older are coming," Lucy pointed out.

"You can't Apparate inside the Hogwarts grounds anyway," Hermione added. "How often do I have to tell you?"

"That, too," Lucy said, smirking.

There was still no sign of anyone, and the cold was starting to set in as the students waited. Lucy rubbed her hands together under her cloak.

"Aha!" Dumbledore announced after a few more minutes. "Unless I am very much mistaken, the delegation from Beauxbatons approaches!"

"Where?" shouted many of the students as everyone looked around frantically.

"There!" someone in the back of the Ravenclaw group yelled, pointing into the sky above the forest.

Everyone looked to see a speck in the air that was growing larger as it made its way closer to the school grounds.

"It's a dragon!" screamed a first-year from Hufflepuff.

"Don't be stupid—it's a flying house!" Dennis Creevey shouted.

The flying object drew even closer until they were finally able to make out what it was. It was a blue carriage being pulled by a dozen giant, flying horses. It flew lower and lower until it finally crashed to the ground, causing a few students to flinch.

A boy jumped down from the carriage and released a set of steps that led from the door of the carriage to the ground. Then he stepped back, standing at attention. The door of the carriage opened, and a giant shoe stepped out. The foot was followed by the rest of the woman; she was the tallest woman Lucy had ever seen. Lucy was immediately reminded of Hagrid.

Dumbledore began to clap, and the Hogwarts students hurried to copy him. The woman smiled and sashayed over to Dumbledore, who took her hand and kissed the back of it.

"My dear Madam Maxime," he greeted. "Welcome to Hogwarts."

"Dumbly-dorr," Madam Maxime answered in a strong French accent. "I 'ope I find you well?"

"In excellent form, I thank you," Dumbledore replied.

"My pupils," Madam Maxime said, gesturing behind her.

Lucy turned back to the carriage to see a group of students in blue robes made of silk. They stood together, shivering against the cold, and looked up at the castle unimpressively.

"'As Karkaroff arrived yet?" Madam Maxime asked.

"He should be here any moment," Dumbledore said. "Would you like to wait here and greet him, or would you prefer to step inside and warm up a trifle?"

"Warm up, I think," Madam Maxime said. "But ze 'orses—"

"Our Care of Magical Creatures teacher will be delighted to take care of them," Dumbledore assured her, "the moment he has returned from dealing with a slight situation that has arisen with some of—er—his other charges."

"Skrewts," Lucy heard Ron mutter.

"My steeds require—er—_forceful_ 'andling," Madam Maxime said doubtfully. "Zey are very strong—"

"I assure you that Hagrid will be well up to the job," Dumbledore said.

"Very well," Madam Maxime conceded. "Will you please inform zis 'Agrid zat ze 'orses drink only single-malt whiskey?"

"It will be attended to," Dumbledore said, nodding.

"Come," Madam Maxime called over to her students.

They hurried after their headmistress and were soon inside the castle.

"I wish _we_ could go in the castle," Lucy murmured to Neville, who nodded his agreement.

"How big d'you reckon Durmstrang's horses are going to be?" Seamus asked.

"Well, if they're bigger than this lot, even Hagrid won't be able to handle them," Harry said. "That's if he hasn't been attacked by his skrewts. Wonder what's up with them?"

"Maybe they've escaped," Ron said excitedly.

"Oh, don't say that," Hermione moaned.

"Yeah, imagine those things loose on the grounds…" Lucy agreed, making a face.

The minutes continued to tick by as they waited for the Durmstrang party, and many of the Hogwarts students were looking up at the sky.

"Can you hear something?" Ron eventually spoke up.

Lucy listened, hearing a quiet rumbling that was getting louder.

"The lake!" Lee Jordan yelled from the sixth-year line. "Look at the lake!"

Everyone turned to see that the once calm water was now moving in disturbance. A whirlpool was forming in the center, growing larger for a few minutes before something began to rise from it.

"It's a mast!" Harry exclaimed.

He was right; out of the water was rising a giant ship. Soon, the entire ship had emerged, and the whirlpool disappeared. They heard the splash of an anchor being lowered into the water, and then a wooden plank was extended from the deck of the ship to the shore of the lake. The occupants began to come ashore, led by a tall man who was obviously the headmaster of the school.

"Dumbledore!" the man said as he and his students drew near. "How are you, my dear fellow? How are you?"

His students were all wearing thick fur coats and surveying the castle in interest.

"Blooming, thank you, Professor Karkaroff," Dumbledore replied.

Karkaroff reached him and shook Dumbledore's hand with both of his. "Dear old Hogwarts," he said wistfully. "How good it is to be here. How good—Viktor, come along, into the warmth—you don't mind, Dumbledore? Viktor has a slight head cold.…"

Karkaroff motioned to one of his students to come forward. When the boy stepped into the light, Lucy recognized him immediately.

"Harry!" she heard Ron hiss. "It's _Krum_!"

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: Originally, I had Lucy kind of "snap out of it" while she was in the middle of being under the Imperius Curse. I took that part out, because it felt like I was just trying to make Lucy be extra special. She is quite a talented witch, especially as she continues to learn, but I thought that might be pushing it a bit much.**_


	11. 11: Champions

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 11 – Champions**

Dumbledore showed the Durmstrang party inside, and the rest of the Hogwarts staff and students followed them.

"I can't believe it!" Ron said hoarsely. "Krum, Harry! _Viktor Krum_!"

"For heaven's sake, Ron," Hermione said. "He's only a Quidditch player."

"_Only a Quidditch player_?" Ron squawked. "Hermione—he's one of the best Seekers in the _world_! I had no idea he was still at school!"

As the students flooded from the entrance hall into the Great Hall, many of them tried to get a better look at Krum. Lucy and her friends passed a group of girls who were discussing getting his autograph.

"Oh, I don't believe it," one girl complained, digging around in her pockets. "I don't have a single quill."

"D'you think he'd sign my hat in lipstick?" another one asked.

"_Really_," Hermione sighed, shaking her head as she passed the girls.

"_I'm_ getting his autograph if I can," Ron said. "You haven't got a quill, have you, Harry?"

"Nope, they're upstairs in my bag," Harry replied.

"Lucy?"

"Sorry, no luck," Lucy told a crestfallen Ron.

They entered the Great Hall and took seats at the Gryffindor table next to the Weasley twins, Ginny, and Neville. The Durmstrang students were milling about near the doors, unsure of where to sit, while the Beauxbatons group sat down at the Ravenclaw table. Many of them looked very unimpressed and were still clutching their scarves around themselves.

"It's not _that_ cold," Hermione said, watching the Beauxbatons students. "Why didn't they bring cloaks?"

"Maybe they don't have any where they're from," Lucy said.

"Over here!" Ron was muttering. "Come and sit over here! Hermione, budge up. Make a space—"

"What the _hell _are you talking about?" Lucy asked, staring at him.

"Too late," he groaned.

Lucy looked up to see what he was staring at. The Durmstrang students had finally chosen to sit down at the Slytherin table. Krum sat down very near to Malfoy, who struck up a conversation with him.

"Yeah, that's right. Smarm up to him, Malfoy," Ron growled. "I bet Krum can see right through him, though—bet he gets people fawning over him all the time.… Where d'you reckon they're going to sleep? We could offer him a space in our dormitory, Harry—I wouldn't mind giving him my bed. I could kip on a camp bed."

"Ron, what is wrong with you?" Lucy asked, still scanning the Slytherin table. "I'm sure they have sleeping arrangements already."

"They look a lot happier than the Beauxbatons lot," Harry pointed out.

The Durmstrang students were taking their fur cloaks off and looking around the hall with great interest. With their cloaks off, Lucy could see that their robes were a deep red color.

Then Lucy's eyes stopped on Jeremy, who was sitting halfway down the Slytherin table with his friends Daphne Greengrass—who was also a fourth-year—and Mary Poole—who was a third-year. Sitting right next to Jeremy was a Durmstrang student, and the two boys were chatting as though they already knew each other. Lucy made a mental note to ask Jeremy about it later.

"Look, Filch is adding chairs to the top table," Hermione said.

Lucy and Harry looked up to see Filch adding two chairs each on either side of Dumbledore's seat.

"There are only two extra people," Harry said. "Why's Filch putting out four chairs? Who else is coming?"

"Eh?" Ron grunted, not paying attention to the conversation.

Finally, all the students had entered the hall and taken their seats. The staff all filed into the hall and up to the front of the room to take their spots at the top table. Then Professor Dumbledore entered, leading Karkaroff and Madam Maxime up to the top table, as well. The Beauxbatons students all stood to attention when their headmistress entered the hall, which caused a lot of the Hogwarts students to giggle.

When the three heads reached the top table, Karkaroff and Madam Maxime took their seats on either side of Dumbledore's chair. The Beauxbatons students returned to their seats once Madam Maxime had sat down. Dumbledore was still standing, and everyone quieted.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen, ghosts and—more particularly—guests," Dumbledore said. "I have great pleasure in welcoming you all to Hogwarts. I hope and trust that your stay here will be both comfortable and enjoyable."

A Beauxbatons girl gave a quiet laugh, and Hermione hissed, "No one's making you stay!"

"The tournament will be officially opened at the end of the feast," Dumbledore continued. "I now invite you all to eat, drink, and make yourselves at home!" He smiled around the hall and then sat down.

The dishes on the tables filled magically with food, and Lucy was surprised to see that there were many plates that she didn't recognize.

"What the hell's _that_?" Ron asked, pointing at one.

"Bouillabaisse," Hermione replied.

"Bless you," Ron said.

"It's _French_," Hermione said exasperatedly. "I had it on summer before last. It's very nice."

"I'll take your word for it," Ron said, but he avoided that particular dish.

Lucy was very careful about what food she was eating, as well. She tried quite a few of the strange looking dishes, but she wasn't sure how she felt about most of them.

A few minutes into the feast, Lucy and her friends saw Hagrid entering the Great Hall through a side door. He waved to them with a bandaged hand.

"Skrewts doing all right, Hagrid?" Harry asked.

"Thrivin'," Hagrid replied, grinning.

"Yeah, I'll just bet they are," Ron muttered. "Looks like they've finally found a food they like, doesn't it? Hagrid's fingers."

"Excuse me," a voice asked from behind Lucy and Hermione. They looked over their shoulders to see one of the Beauxbatons girls who had come over to their table from the Ravenclaw one next door. "Are you wanting ze bouillabaisse?" she asked.

Lucy glanced back at the boys to see Ron looking quite speechless as he stared at the girl.

"Yeah, have it," Harry said, pushing the dish forward.

"You 'ave finished wiz it?" the girl asked.

"Yeah," Ron finally said. "Yeah, it was excellent."

The girl took the dish and went back to the Ravenclaw table.

"What the hell was that about?" Lucy asked, looking back at Ron. "You didn't even _eat_ any of that stuff!"

"She's a _veela_!" Ron murmured.

"Of course she isn't!" Hermione said, shaking her head. "I don't see anyone else gaping at her like an idiot!"

Lucy looked back at the Beauxbatons girl, who was just getting back to her spot, and noticed that Hermione was incorrect; the girl was indeed drawing a lot of attention.

"I'm telling you, that's not a normal girl!" Ron insisted. "They don't make them like that at Hogwarts."

"They make them okay at Hogwarts," Harry argued, looking at someone else at the Ravenclaw table.

"You two are being gross," Lucy said, frowning.

"When you've both put your eyes back in," Hermione added, "you'll be able to see who just arrived."

Lucy turned to look at the staff table, where the other two empty chairs had finally been taken. Ludo Bagman and Barty Crouch had shown up.

"What are _they_ doing here?" Harry asked.

"They organized the Triwizard Tournament, didn't they?" Hermione said. "I suppose they wanted to be here to see it start."

Meanwhile, the main courses had faded away and been replaced with desserts. There were many dishes of unfamiliar desserts, as well, and Lucy tried a little bit of some of them.

**~LJ:D~**

Finally, the food was all wiped away, leaving the dishes empty once again.

Dumbledore stood up. "The moment has come," he announced, beaming. "The Triwizard Tournament is about to start. I would like to say a few words of explanation before we bring in the casket—"

"The what?" Harry asked.

Ron shrugged, and Lucy shushed him.

"—just to clarify the procedure that we will be following this year. First, let me introduce—for those who do not know them—Mr. Bartemius Crouch, Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation—"

There was some polite applause for Crouch.

"—and Mr. Ludo Bagman, Head of the Department of Magical Games and Sports."

There was a much louder and appreciative applause for Bagman, who grinned and waved at the crowd.

"Mr. Bagman and Mr. Crouch have worked tirelessly over the last few months on the arrangements for the Triwizard Tournament," Dumbledore explained, "and they will be joining myself, Professor Karkaroff, and Madam Maxime on the panel that will judge the champions' efforts."

There was a pause, and Dumbledore said, "The casket, then, if you please, Mr. Filch."

Filch came forward, carrying a very old-looking chest that was covered in jewels. There were murmurs of wonder and excitement as Filch lifted the chest and set it on the table in front of Dumbledore.

"The instructions for the tasks the champions will face this year have already been examined by Mr. Crouch and Mr. Bagman," Dumbledore said, "and they have made the necessary arrangements for each challenge. There will be three tasks, spaced throughout the school year, and they will test the champions in many different ways—their magical prowess—their daring—their powers of deduction—and, of course, their ability to cope with danger."

There was silence at these last words.

"As you know, three champions compete in the tournament—one from each of the participating schools," Dumbledore continued. "They will be marked on how well they perform each of the tournament tasks, and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector: the Goblet of Fire."

Dumbledore removed his wand from his pocket and tapped the chest in front of him three times. The lid opened slowly, and Dumbledore reached in. He pulled out a large wooden cup that was filled with bright blue-white flames. Then Dumbledore shut the chest and placed the goblet on top of it.

"Anybody wishing to submit themselves as champion must write their name and school clearly upon a slip of parchment and drop it into the goblet," Dumbledore instructed. "Aspiring champions have twenty-four hours in which to put their names forward. Tomorrow night—Halloween—the goblet will return the names of the three it has judged most worthy to represent their schools. The goblet will be placed in the entrance hall tonight, where it will be freely accessible to all those wishing to compete.

"To ensure that no underage students yield to temptation, I will be drawing an Age Line around the Goblet of Fire once it has been placed in the entrance hall. Nobody under the age of seventeen will be able to cross this line.

"Finally, I wish to impress upon any of you wishing to compete that this tournament is not to be entered into lightly. Once a champion has been selected by the Goblet of Fire, he or she is obligated to see the tournament through to the end. The placing of your name in the goblet constitutes a binding, magical contract. There can be no change of heart once you have become champion. Please be very sure, therefore, that you are wholeheartedly prepared to play before you drop your name into the goblet.

"Now, I think it is time for bed," Dumbledore finished. "Good night to all of you."

The students all stood and started to make their way out of the Great Hall.

"An Age Line!" Fred exclaimed. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it? And once your name's in that goblet, you're laughing—it can't tell whether you're seventeen or not!"

"I don't think anyone under seventeen will stand a chance," Hermione spoke up. "We just haven't learned enough—"

"Speak for yourself," George said. "You'll try and get in, won't you, Harry?"

Harry stayed silent.

"Where is he?" Ron asked, who wasn't paying attention to their conversation. "Dumbledore didn't say where the Durmstrang people are sleeping, did he?"

"Ron, stop it," Lucy told him. "You're being silly."

Suddenly, Karkaroff was hurrying towards his students, who were quite near to them.

"Back to the ship, then," Karkaroff said. "Viktor, how are you feeling? Did you eat enough? Should I send for some mulled wine from the kitchens?"

Lucy saw Krum through the crowd shaking his head and putting his cloak back on.

"Professor, _I_ vood like some vine," another Durmstrang student said.

"I wasn't offering it to _you_, Poliakoff," Karkaroff sneered. "I notice you have dribbled food all down the front of your robes again, disgusting boy.…"

He led his students forward and reached the doors at the same time as Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione. Harry stopped, letting Karkaroff go ahead of them.

"Thank you," Karkaroff said, glancing at Harry.

Then he froze, dumbfounded, his eyes zeroing in on Harry's scar. The Durmstrang students stopped behind their headmaster, also staring at Harry. One of the Durmstrang boys pointed at Harry's head.

"Yeah, that's Harry Potter." Moody had walked up behind all of them, and he was staring at Karkaroff.

Karkaroff paled when his eyes fell on Moody. "You!" he gasped.

"Me," Moody said, "and unless you've got anything to say to Potter, Karkaroff, you might want to move. You're blocking the doorway."

Karkaroff spun on his heel and left the Great Hall, his students following him. Moody stared after him with a look of dislike on his face.

"That was weird," Lucy whispered to Hermione as they finally exited the hall.

**~LJ:D~**

The next day was Saturday, yet many students woke up early and went down to watch people put their names into the Goblet of Fire. Lucy, Hermione, Harry, and Ron went downstairs and saw that the goblet had been placed in the center of the entrance hall with a line circling around it, extending in a ten-foot radius.

"Hi, Lucy," Sally-Anne said from nearby. She was standing with a group of her other friends.

"Good morning, Sally-Anne," Lucy replied, walking over to her. "Anyone put their name in yet?"

"All the Durmstrang lot," Sally-Anne answered, "but I haven't seen anyone from Hogwarts yet."

"Well, hopefully _someone_ from Hogwarts will enter," Lucy joked. "I'll see you later."

She rejoined Harry, Ron, and Hermione, who were standing a few feet away. She reported to them what Sally-Anne had told her.

"Bet some of them put it in last night after we'd all gone to bed," Harry commented. "I would've if it had been me—wouldn't have wanted everyone watching. What if the goblet just gobbed you right back out again?"

"Or maybe they're all waiting until later today," Lucy suggested. "You know, once everyone has calmed down a little bit."

Then she heard laughter behind her, and she turned around to see Fred, George, and Lee running down the staircase.

"Done it," Fred told them. "Just taken it."

"What?" Ron asked.

"The Aging Potion, dumbass," Fred said, rolling his eyes.

"One drop each," George said. "We only need to be a few months older."

"We're going to split the thousand Galleons between the three of us if one of us wins," Lee added.

"I'm not sure this is going to work, you know," Hermione cautioned.

"Yeah, I'm sure Dumbledore will have thought of this," Lucy agreed. "He _knows_ you three, you know."

Fred, George, and Lee ignored the girls and turned to the goblet.

"Ready?" Fred said. "C'mon, then—I'll go first—" He pulled out a bit of paper that had his name and school written on it. Then he strode forward, paused at the Age Line, and stepped over it.

Nothing happened for a moment, and George hurried forward, crossing the Age Line to join his brother.

Suddenly, the twins were being hurled through the air. They landed about ten feet away on the stone floor, groaning painfully. Then there were two small popping noises, and Fred and George found themselves sprouting identical white beards on their chins.

Everyone in the hall began to laugh; even the twins started laughing after they looked at each other's faces.

"I _did_ warn you," Dumbledore said as he exited the Great Hall. "I suggest you both go up to Madam Pomfrey. She is already tending to Miss Fawcett, of Ravenclaw, and Mr. Summers, of Hufflepuff—both of whom decided to age themselves up a little, too. Though I must say, neither of their beards are anything like as fine as yours."

Fred and George left for the hospital wing, followed by Lee, who was having trouble breathing with how hard he was laughing. Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went into the Great Hall to have some breakfast.

The Great Hall had been redecorated once again. It was now prepared for Halloween with the usual live bats and carved pumpkins floating in the air. Harry led them over to sit next to Dean and Seamus.

"There's a rumor going around that Warrington got up early and put his name in," Dean told them as they started their breakfast. "That big bloke from Slytherin who looks like a sloth."

"We can't have a Slytherin champion!" Harry said, shaking his head.

"If I was of age, I would take offense to that." Jeremy had shown up, grinning.

"Good morning," Lucy said, patting the bench next to her.

Jeremy obediently sat down. "By the way, Warrington _did_ put his name in this morning," he confirmed. "So did a couple of the seventh-year boys. No girls, though. At least, not yet."

"And all the Hufflepuffs are talking about Diggory," Seamus added, "but I wouldn't have thought he'd have wanted to risk his good looks."

"You sound a bit jealous when you say things like that," Lucy said, smirking.

"Listen!" Hermione said.

There was cheering coming from the entrance hall. They all looked to the doors and saw Angelina Johnson entering the Great Hall, looking a bit embarrassed.

She paused next to them as she walked down the Gryffindor table. "Well, I've done it!" she announced. "Just put my name in!"

"You're kidding!" Ron said.

"Are you seventeen, then?" Harry asked.

"'Course she is," Ron said. "Can't see a beard, can you?"

"Well, I'm glad someone from Gryffindor's entering," Hermione said. "I really hope you get it, Angelina!"

"Thanks, Hermione," Angelina said, smiling.

"Yeah, better you than Pretty-Boy Diggory," Seamus added, and Lucy shook her head at him.

"Fred is going to be jealous," Lucy said to Angelina.

"Fred?" Angelina repeated.

"He and George attempted to enter this morning, but they're still sixteen," Lucy replied. "I'm sure Fred would have _loved_ to have been the Hogwarts champion to impress you." She waggled her eyebrows in Angelina's direction, who blushed but smiled.

**~LJ:D~**

Towards the end of breakfast, Lucy turned to Jeremy. "I saw that you were sitting next to a Durmstrang student last night during the feast," she said. "You looked like you knew him. Do you?"

"Yeah," Jeremy replied. "My cousin Edmond. He's my mom's sister's son."

"You have cousins who go to Durmstrang?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Jeremy answered. "Well, he's the only one who goes to Durmstrang right now, although he has two younger brothers and a younger sister who will go there, too. Then I have seven cousins currently at Beauxbatons, but none of them are old enough to be here for the tournament. Oh, and two cousins at Ilvermorny."

"Wow," Lucy said. "Big family?"

"My mum is one of six," Jeremy said with a shrug.

**~LJ:D~**

After breakfast, Lucy, Ron, Harry, and Hermione left the Great Hall and paused in the entrance hall.

"What're we going to do today, then?" Ron asked.

"We haven't been down to visit Hagrid yet," Harry suggested.

"Okay," Ron agreed, "but just as long as he doesn't ask us to donate a few fingers to the skrewts."

"I've just realized—I haven't asked Hagrid to join S.P.E.W. yet!" Hermione said. "Wait for me, will you, while I nip upstairs and get the badges?"

"What is it with her?" Ron asked as she disappeared up the marble stairs.

"Be nice," Lucy scolded.

"Hey, Ron," Harry said, poking his arm. "It's your friend—"

The Beauxbatons students were entering the castle, and Ron looked around, seeking the veela-girl. The Beauxbatons students all halted when they reached the entrance hall, and Madam Maxime entered behind them. She then organized them into a line, and they all stepped up one-by-one to the Goblet of Fire to put their names in.

"What d'you reckon'll happen to the ones who aren't chosen?" Ron whispered. "Reckon they'll go back to school or hang around to watch the tournament?"

"Dunno," Harry said. "Hang around, I suppose.… Madam Maxime's staying to judge, isn't she?"

"Worried the pretty girl won't get chosen and she'll have to leave?" Lucy asked teasingly, and Ron glared at her.

The Beauxbatons students finished putting their names into the goblet and then followed their headmistress back out of the castle.

"Where are _they_ sleeping, then?" Ron asked.

"I wouldn't be surprised if they were staying in their carriage," Lucy answered. "It's probably bigger on the inside, like our tents at the World Cup."

Hermione caught up to them then, carrying her tin of badges.

"Oh, good, hurry up," Ron said, and he left the castle.

Lucy, Harry, and Hermione hustled to keep up with him.

**~LJ:D~**

As they made their way down the grounds to Hagrid's hut, they saw that the Beauxbatons carriage had been parked nearby. Harry stepped up to Hagrid's front door and knocked.

"'Bout time!" Hagrid boomed as he pulled the door open. "Thought you lot'd forgotten where I live!"

"We've been really busy, Hag—" Hermione stopped suddenly as she looked over Hagrid's outfit. He was wearing a very ugly suit and had attempted to flatten his hair with a ton of grease. "Erm—where are the skrewts?" Hermione asked, attempting to ignore Hagrid's fashion choices.

"Out by the pumpkin patch," Hagrid replied. "They're getting' massive. Mus' be nearly three feet long now. On'y trouble is, they've started killin' each other."

"Oh, no—really?" Hermione asked quickly, shooting a look at Ron, who was staring at Hagrid's hair like he wanted to say something about it.

"Yeah," Hagrid said. "'S okay, though. I've got 'em in separate boxes now. Still got abou' twenty."

"Twenty is better than nothing," Lucy said, trying to be nice about the skrewts.

Hagrid ushered them to the kitchen table and began to make tea. They immediately started talking about the Triwizard Tournament.

"You wait," Hagrid said. "You jus' wait. Yer going ter see some stuff yeh've never seen before. Firs' task—ah, but I'm not supposed ter say."

"Go on, Hagrid!" the four Gryffindors begged, but Hagrid shook his head.

"I don' want ter spoil it fer yeh," he said. "It's gonna be spectacular, I'll tell yeh tha' much. Them champions're going ter have their work cut out. Never thought I'd live ter see the Triwizard Tournament played again!"

**~LJ:D~**

They ended up staying all morning, eating lunch with Hagrid, and hanging around into the afternoon. Catching up with Hagrid was very nice. Around mid-afternoon, it started to drizzle, and it was quite peaceful listening to the rain patter against the roof.

Hermione eventually brought up S.P.E.W. to Hagrid, who immediately refused to join.

"It'd be doin' 'em an unkindness, Hermione," he said. "It's in their nature ter look after humans. Tha's what they like, see? Yeh'd be makin' 'em unhappy ter take away their work an' insultin' 'em if yeh tried ter pay 'em."

"But Harry set Dobby free, and he was over the moon about it!" Hermione insisted. "We heard he's asking for wages now!"

"Yeah, well, yeh get weirdos in every breed," Hagrid said. "I'm not sayin' there isn't the odd elf who'd take freedom, but yeh'll never persuade most of 'em ter do it—no, nothin' doin', Hermione."

Hermione, looking very upset, stuffed her badges back into her robe pocket.

**~LJ:D~**

At five-thirty, Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione decided to head back up to the castle. The feast would be starting at six, and then the announcement of the champions would be happening afterwards.

"I'll come with yeh," Hagrid said. "Jus' give us a sec." He went to his dresser and began looking through the drawers.

Then the cabin was filled with a terrible smell, and the four students covered their noses.

"Hagrid, what _is_ that?" Ron asked.

"Eh?" Hagrid said. "Don' yeh like it?"

"Is that aftershave?" Hermione asked incredulously.

"Er—eau de cologne," Hagrid admitted, showing them the bottle that he was holding. "Maybe it's a bit much. I'll go take it off. Hang on—" He went out his back door and dunked his head into the water barrel that was out there.

"Eau de cologne?" Hermione repeated in a low voice. "_Hagrid_?"

"And what's with the hair and the suit?" Harry added, looking puzzled.

"Look!" Lucy exclaimed, pointing at the window.

Hagrid had finished in the water barrel and looked up. Madam Maxime had just exited from her carriage, followed by her students, and Hagrid was talking with her.

"He's going up to the castle with her!" Hermione gasped. "I thought he was waiting for _us_!"

But Hagrid never looked back at his cabin; he joined Madam Maxime and walked towards the castle with her, the Beauxbatons students following them.

"He _fancies_ her!" Ron said. "Well, if they end up having children, they'll be setting a world record—bet any baby of theirs would weigh about a ton."

The four of them exited Hagrid's cabin, after saying good-bye to Fang, and set off for the castle, as well.

"Ooh, it's them, look!" Hermione said after a few minutes.

The Durmstrang students were following Karkaroff up to the castle just ahead of the Gryffindors. Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione followed the Durmstrang group into the castle and the Great Hall.

The Great Hall was already packed with people. The Goblet of Fire had been relocated to the front of the room, right in front of Dumbledore's chair. Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione walked about halfway down the table and joined Fred and George, who were both beardless once again.

"Hope it's Angelina," Fred said.

Lucy smirked. "Of course you do," she said.

Fred narrowed his eyes at her for a moment.

"So do I!" Hermione said. "Well, we'll know soon!"

**~LJ:D~**

The Halloween feast began, and it seemed to go on forever. Everyone was too excited to find out who the champions were going to be. Conversations were only about who they thought would be selected to compete for their schools and speculation on what the coming tasks would be.

Finally, the desserts were being cleared away, and Dumbledore stood up.

"Well, the goblet is about ready to make its decision," he announced. "I estimate that it requires one more minute. Now, when the champions' names are called, I would ask them please to come up to the top of the hall, walk along the staff table, and go through into the next chamber, where they will be receiving their first instructions."

Then he took his wand out and waved it. The candles went out immediately, so the only light was coming from the Goblet of Fire. Everyone was quiet as the seconds crawled by.

"Any moment," Lee whispered from nearby.

The flames inside the goblet glowed red, and a bit of parchment shot into the air.

Dumbledore reached out and caught the parchment. "The champion for Durmstrang," he read, "will be Viktor Krum."

"No surprises there!" Ron shouted as everyone began to cheer.

Krum stood up from the Slytherin table, walked up to the staff table, and exited the Great Hall through the door Dumbledore had directed for the champions.

"Bravo, Viktor!" Karkaroff roared. "Knew you had it in you!"

The clapping died out, and then the Goblet of Fire turned red once more. Another slip of paper was shot into the air, which Dumbledore again caught.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," he read, "is Fleur Delacour!"

There was more applauding as the veela-girl stood up from the Ravenclaw table.

"It's her, Ron!" Harry hissed, elbowing Ron in the side.

"Oh, look, they're all disappointed," Hermione pointed out about the rest of the Beauxbatons students.

Unlike the Durmstrang students, who had cheered for Krum, the Beauxbatons students all looked very downcast and upset about not being chosen.

Fleur had now left the Great Hall, and the rest of the crowd waited for a few seconds for the goblet to turn red again. The final piece of parchment shot into the air, and everyone was on the edge of their seats to find out who the Hogwarts champion would be.

"The Hogwarts champion," Dumbledore said, "is Cedric Diggory!"

"No!" Ron said, but most people couldn't hear him over the screams and cheers coming from the Hufflepuff table.

Lucy cheered, as well, ignoring the looks of disappointment on Ron's, Fred's, and George's faces.

Cedric stood up and walked down the hall, leaving through the same door as Krum and Fleur. The cheering went on for so long that Dumbledore had to wave his hands over his head for quiet.

"Excellent!" he shouted cheerfully. "Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on, you will contribute in a very real—"

Dumbledore stopped. The Goblet of Fire had gone red for a fourth time. It shot a piece of paper into the air. Dumbledore caught it, looking quite confused.

"Do you think it's broken?" Lucy asked in a whisper to Hermione across the table, who looked anxious.

Dumbledore was staring at the paper in his hand, and everyone waited with baited breath to hear what was written on it, if anything. Dumbledore cleared his throat and read off a name.

"_Harry Potter_."

Lucy looked at her brother next to her with wide eyes. He was frozen. Professor McGonagall hurried forward and whispered into Dumbledore's ear.

"Harry?" Lucy asked.

Harry finally looked over at her. "I didn't put my name in," he said in disbelief, glancing across the table at Ron and Hermione, as well. "You know I didn't."

The three of them just stared back at him, not sure what to tell him.

"Harry Potter!" Dumbledore called. "Harry! Up here, if you please!"

"Go on," Hermione murmured.

Lucy pulled Harry out of his seat and gave him a gentle push to start walking towards the top table. Everybody watched in silence as he approached the front of the room.

"Well… through the door, Harry," Dumbledore said when Harry reached him.

Harry continued along the staff table and disappeared through the door. Bagman left the Great Hall immediately, following the champions.

Dumbledore cleared his throat, and the attention was returned to him. "Well, there you have it!" he said, although he wasn't smiling. "We have our champions! And now, it is late. Good night!"

Dumbledore turned and went swiftly through the door, followed by Crouch, Karkaroff, Madam Maxime, Professor McGonagall, and Snape. Lucy turned to Hermione and Ron.

"A Gryffindor as champion!" Fred exclaimed, looking excited. "We should have a party in the common room for when Harry gets back! This is excellent!" He and George hurried off.

**~LJ:D~**

Lucy, Hermione, and Ron left for the common room. Ron was being eerily quiet, and when they reached Gryffindor Tower, he excused himself for his dormitory.

"What's wrong with Ron?" Lucy asked, looking bewildered.

"You heard him," Hermione said. "He kept saying how it would be cool to be a champion. Now he's in Harry's shadow again."

"But _how_ did Harry's name get in the goblet?" Lucy asked.

"You don't think he found a way to put it in?" Hermione said.

"There's no way," Lucy said. "He looked absolutely horrified when his name was called. He didn't expect that to happen; it was obvious on his face."

Fred and George entered the common room, carrying armfuls of food. There were cheers for them, and Hermione shook her head.

"I'm sorry; I can't stay down here," she said. "I'm going to go up to the dormitory. I'll talk to Harry tomorrow."

Lucy nodded, and Hermione left for the girls' staircase.

**~LJ:D~**

It was quite a while before Harry returned. When the portrait hole opened, he was pulled into the common room, and everyone immediately began questioning him about how he had done it.

"You should've told us you'd entered!" Fred shouted.

"How did you do it without getting a beard? Brilliant!" George added.

"I didn't," Harry said. "I don't know how—"

"Oh, if it couldn't be me, at least it's a Gryffindor," Angelina gushed.

"You'll be able to pay back Diggory for that last Quidditch match, Harry!" Katie Bell, one of the Gryffindor Chasers, yelled gleefully.

"We've got food, Harry," Fred said. "Come and have some."

"I'm not hungry," Harry replied. "I had enough at the feast."

"Harry!" Lucy called, trying to get through the crowd to her brother.

Harry was being passed around the common room, however, and Lucy couldn't get him on her own.

"Lucy, did you have some food?" George asked, offering her a cupcake.

Lucy took it from him, sighing. "Poor Harry," she muttered.

"What do you mean, _poor Harry_?" George asked. "He gets to be a champion in the Triwizard Tournament! That's brilliant!"

"He's fourteen years old!" Lucy countered. "It was only supposed to be seventeen- or eighteen-year-olds! Not to mention that there was only supposed to be one champion for Hogwarts, yet somehow two names came out? I'm sure the other schools aren't happy about it."

"Well, however he fooled the age line is impressive," George said.

"I don't think he put his name in," Lucy said. "I think someone must have put it in for him. I mean, how was his name able to come out at all? The goblet had already picked out the Hogwarts champion—"

"Lucy, relax," George said. "There's nothing Harry can do about it now. He has to compete; binding magical contract or whatever Dumbledore called it."

Lucy nodded glumly.

"I'm tired!" Harry finally shouted. Fred tried to protest, but Harry cut him off, "No, seriously, Fred—I'm going to bed." He disappeared up the boys' staircase, and Lucy frowned.

"So, how do you think he did it?" Fred asked, sidling up to Lucy and George.

"I don't think he did," Lucy said firmly. "If the rest of you don't want to accept that, I'm going to bed, as well."

She pressed the uneaten cupcake back into George's hand and left the common room. As she walked up the winding staircase, she could help but wonder, _who would put Harry's name into the Goblet of Fire, and why?_

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: After I figured out Jeremy's extended family, I realized that one of his cousins was the correct age to be present for the Triwizard Tournament. So I decided to add in the little moment where Lucy sees Jeremy talking to his cousin, and then she asks him about it later. This is the only time it'll be brought up, but I just wanted to show a little bit more of Jeremy's background.**_

_**In the book, I think Ron asks some random girl about who's put their names in the Goblet of Fire. I thought it was an opportune moment to slip Sally-Anne in again, with her tendency for gossip.**_


	12. 12: Jealousy Rears Its Head

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 12 – Jealousy Rears Its Head**

"So, did Harry say anything when he went up to your dormitory last night?" Lucy asked Ron the next morning. The two of them and Hermione were sitting in the Great Hall, eating breakfast.

Ron's expression turned dark. "He didn't say much," he replied.

"Okay, what's wrong with you?" Lucy asked.

"He wouldn't tell me how he did it," Ron growled. "He keeps acting like he didn't stick his own name in the damn goblet. Why can't he at least tell _me_? I'm supposed to be his best mate."

"You don't actually believe that he did this himself, do you?" Lucy said, putting her fork down.

"How did his name come out of it if he didn't put it in?" Ron shot back, stabbing at his bacon.

"I don't know, but weird things happen to Harry all the time," Lucy said.

"We're his friends, and he wouldn't lie to us," Hermione added.

"Yeah?" Ron said. "Special Harry Potter—always gets everything. He gets to be on the Quidditch team as a first-year—everyone loves him—everyone wants to be his friend—he's always the hero—" Ron shoved his fork into his mouth angrily.

Hermione said, "Ron—"

"I don't want to talk about it anymore," Ron interrupted her, shaking his head. He got up and moved to sit by Seamus and Dean.

"I don't believe it," Lucy said quietly. "He's jealous, isn't he?"

"Yes, so it seems," Hermione said. She checked her watch and went on, "It's getting late. Let's bring Harry some toast and take him outside. We need to talk to him."

Lucy agreed, and the girls wrapped up some toast in a napkin and set off for the common room.

**~LJ:D~**

They were walking down the corridor towards the Fat Lady's portrait when it swung open, and Harry climbed out.

"Hello," Hermione greeted. "We brought you this.… Want to go for a walk?" She held up the napkin of toast.

Harry looked relieved. "Good idea," he said.

Lucy and Hermione turned around and walked on either side of Harry back downstairs and out of the castle.

As soon as they were out on the grounds, Harry launched into an explanation of what happened after his name had been called.

"Well, of _course_ we knew you hadn't entered yourself," Lucy said when he was finished. "The look on your face when Dumbledore announced your name!"

"So, the question is, who _did_ put it in?" Hermione asked. "Moody's right, Harry—I don't think any student could have done it—they'd never be able to fool the goblet, or get over Dumbledore's—"

"Have you seen Ron?" Harry cut in.

Lucy and Hermione exchanged a glance.

"Erm—yes—he was at breakfast," Hermione said.

"Does he still think I entered myself?" Harry asked.

"Well—no, I don't think so—not _really_," Hermione replied, biting her lip anxiously.

Lucy scoffed. "There's no point in lying to him, Hermione," she said. She looked at Harry and said, "Isn't it obvious? Ron's just feeling a little jealous."

"_Jealous_?" Harry repeated in disbelief. "Jealous of _what_? He wants to make a prat of himself in front of the whole school, does he?"

"Look," Lucy started gently, "it's always you who gets all the attention—you know it is. I know it's not your fault," she said firmly, glaring at Harry when he opened his mouth to argue. "I know you don't ask for it—but—well—you know, Ron's got all those brothers at home to compete against—and you're his best friend, and you're really famous—he's always kind of shunned to one side whenever people see you. He puts up with it, and he never mentions it. I guess this is just one time too many—"

"Great," Harry said sarcastically. "_Really_ great. Tell him from me I'll swap any time he wants. Tell him from me he's welcome to it.… People gawping at my forehead everywhere I go—"

"We're not telling him anything," Hermione said. "Tell him yourself. It's the only way to sort this out."

"I'm not running around after him trying to make him grow up!" Harry shouted. "Maybe he'll believe I'm not enjoying myself once I've got my neck broken or—"

"That's not funny," Lucy said sharply. "That's not funny at all."

"Harry, I've been thinking…" Hermione said. "You know what we've got to do, don't you? Straight away, the moment we get back to the castle?"

"Yeah," Harry started, "give Ron a good kick up the—"

"_Harry_," Lucy scolded.

"Write to Sirius," Hermione instructed. "You've got to tell him what's happened! He asked you to keep him posted on everything that's going on at Hogwarts.… It's almost as if he expected something like this to happen. I brought some parchment and a quill out with me—"

"Come off it," Harry scoffed. "He came back to the country just because my scar twinged. He'll probably come bursting right into the castle if I tell him someone's entered me in the Triwizard Tournament—"

"_He'd want you to tell him_," Lucy said. "He's going to find out anyway—"

"How?" Harry asked.

"Harry, this isn't going to be kept quiet," Hermione explained. "This tournament's famous, and you're famous. I'll be really surprised if there isn't anything in the _Daily Prophet_ about you competing.… You're already in half the books about You-Know-Who, you know—and Sirius would rather hear it from _you._ I know he would."

"Okay, okay; I'll write to him," Harry said, flinging his last bit of toast into the lake.

Lucy, Harry, and Hermione watched it for a moment until a tentacle rose out of the water and grabbed it.

**~LJ:D~**

"Whose owl am I going to use?" Harry asked as he and the girls headed back inside the castle. "He told me not to use Hedwig."

Hermione started, "Ask Ron if you can borrow—"

"I'm not asking Ron anything," Harry said with a shake of his head.

"Well, borrow one of the school owls, then," Hermione said. "Anyone can use them."

The three of them went straight up to the Owlery. Once there, Hermione handed Harry a piece of parchment, a quill, and some ink. Harry sat down to write his letter. There was silence for a while as he wrote. Hedwig flew down to Lucy and Hermione, hooting softly, and the girls stroked her.

"Finished," Harry eventually said. He got off the floor, and Hedwig immediately flew over to him, landing on his shoulder.

"I can't use you," Harry said. "I've got to use one of these—"

Hedwig let out an angry hoot and flew off him. Harry got hold of a barn owl and tied his letter to its leg. The barn owl took off out one of the windows. Harry turned back to his own snowy owl, but she flew out of his reach.

"First Ron, then you," Harry sighed. "_This isn't my fault_."

**~LJ:D~**

Monday morning was hard for Harry.

Their first class of the day was Herbology with the Hufflepuffs, all of whom were very upset with Harry for taking the glory away from Cedric. Professor Sprout had them replanting Bouncing Bulbs, and she put Lucy and Harry at the same tray as Ernie and Justin Finch-Fletchley, who refused to speak to Harry. At one point during the lesson, one of the bulbs got away from Harry and hit him in the face, making Ernie and Justin laugh until they saw the angry glare that Lucy gave them.

Their next class was Care of Magical Creatures, which was, unfortunately, with Malfoy and his friends. When the Gryffindors left Herbology, Ron walked ahead with Seamus and Dean, while Lucy and Hermione walked with Harry, who was looking anxious.

The Gryffindors reached Hagrid's cabin first, and a few minutes later, the Slytherins joined them.

"Ah, look, boys," Malfoy drawled as he neared them. "It's the champion. Got your autograph books? Better get a signature now, because I doubt he's going to be around much longer.… Half the Triwizard champions have died—how long d'you reckon you're going to last, Potter? Ten minutes into the first task's my bet—"

Lucy had her wand out and pointed at Malfoy as soon as he'd finished talking. "Got anything else to say?" she snarled

Jeremy stepped forward and put his hand on her wrist, lowering her wand. It was just in time, too, as at that moment, Hagrid had stepped out of his hut, carrying the crates of skrewts.

"All righ'," Hagrid began. "The skrewts have bin killin' each other, because they have too much pent-up energy. So, yer job today will be ter take 'em fer a walk. I've got leashes here fer yeh ter use."

"Take this thing for a walk?" Malfoy asked, looking horrified. "Where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end, or the sucker?"

"'Round the middle," Hagrid replied. "Er—yeh might want ter put on yer dragon-hide gloves, jus' as an extra precaution, like. Harry—you come here an' help me with this big one—"

Malfoy made an obscene gesture to Harry's and Hagrid's backs. Lucy took a step towards him angrily, but Jeremy grabbed her arms. Even through her anger, she could feel her heartbeat speed up at his touch.

"C'mon—let's go get a skrewt," he said, pulling her away.

"That—that _ass_ is going to get what's coming to him someday," Lucy muttered shakily.

"I don't doubt that," Jeremy replied. "I half-expect it to be you that's going to do it. Right now, though," he said, gently putting his hand on her shoulder and looking at her, "you need to concentrate on not getting in trouble."

Her breathing hitched when he didn't immediately lower his hand. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment before he finally dropped his hand, and she felt disappointed.

"Sorry," Lucy said. "Harry's just going through a bit of a rough time right now."

"How bad can things be?" Jeremy asked. "He gets to be one of the Hogwarts champions."

"He didn't want to be!" Lucy said. "You should have seen his face when Dumbledore called his name out in front of everyone. He was horrified. Now Ron isn't talking to him, and the Hufflepuffs are angry at him.… Malfoy being an ass is just… not helping."

They picked out a skrewt and spent the next five minutes attempting to attach the leash to it.

"Do _you_ think Harry put his name in?" Lucy asked when they finally had the skrewt leashed up.

It took Jeremy a moment to answer. "Let me just preface this by saying that it really doesn't matter if I think he did it or not," he began. "He claims that he didn't, and Dumbledore believes him. I trust that you know Harry well enough to know that he's telling the truth."

"You didn't answer the question," Lucy pointed out quietly.

"I don't know what to think," Jeremy said honestly. "Either way, it's not my place to judge him." Lucy frowned, and Jeremy went on, "Look, however Harry's name got into that goblet, I'm sure things will work out. Dumbledore won't let him get hurt."

"I hope you're right," Lucy sighed.

**~LJ:D~**

The rest of the week was very rough. Lucy wanted to curse anyone who would hiss cruel things at Harry. Most of the Hufflepuffs, Ravenclaws, and Slytherins seemed to think that Harry had put his name into the goblet in a desperate attempt to be the center of attention. The Gryffindors were thankfully very supportive of Harry, although they all seemed to think he'd entered himself, as well.

That week during Charms class, they were practicing Summoning Charms. Harry and Neville were the only two Gryffindors who seemed to have trouble with the spell, and Professor Flitwick gave the two boys extra homework before excusing the class.

"It's really not that difficult, Harry," Hermione said to him as they left class. "You just weren't concentrating properly—"

"Wonder why that was," Harry muttered as Cedric walked past them, going the opposite direction and surrounded by a group of girls who glared at Harry. Harry sighed, "Still—never mind, eh? Double Potions to look forward to this afternoon.…"

"Hermione and I will help you with Summoning Charms," Lucy offered, and Harry shrugged noncommittally.

**~LJ:D~**

After lunch, Lucy, Harry, and Hermione went down to the dungeons for class. They had just reached the bottom of the steps from the entrance hall when Jeremy hurried up to them, coming from the opposite direction.

"You are _not_ going to like this," he said anxiously.

Lucy, Harry, and Hermione exchanged confused looks before proceeding down the corridor to the doorway for the Potions classroom. The rest of the Slytherins were waiting there. Pinned to most of their robes were badges with bright red letters on them, reading _Support Cedric Diggory—the REAL Hogwarts Champion!_

"Like them, Potter?" Malfoy asked. "This isn't all they do—look!"

With his finger, he pushed the badge against his chest, and the message magically changed to two glowing green words: _POTTER STINKS_. All the Slytherins with badges laughed and changed their messages to _POTTER STINKS_, as well.

"Oh, _very_ funny," Hermione scoffed. "Really _witty_."

"Did you come up with that all on your own?" Lucy asked sarcastically, rolling her eyes.

"Want one, Granger?" Malfoy offered. He dug another badge out of his robes and held it out. "I've got loads, but don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."

Harry had his wand out immediately, pointing it at Malfoy, and the other Gryffindors and Slytherins quickly stepped to the sides.

"Harry!" Lucy said sharply.

"Go on, then, Potter," Malfoy said, taking his own wand out. "Moody's not here to look after you now—do it, if you've got the guts.…"

There was a beat of silence before both boys shouted their spells.

"_Furnunculus_!" Harry bellowed.

"_Densaugeo_!" Malfoy yelled.

The spells hit each other in midair and bounced away from their intended targets. Harry's hit Goyle directly in the face, and Malfoy's hit Hermione. Goyle's face began to sprout boils, while Hermione put her hands over her mouth.

"Hermione!" Lucy and Ron exclaimed. Lucy put her arm around her friend as Ron attempted to pull Hermione's hand away from her face. When he finally got her to show them her mouth, Lucy gasped. Hermione's front teeth were growing downwards at quiet a steady pace.

"What is all this noise about?" Snape had arrived. The Slytherins began to all speak at once, and Snape silenced them by pointing at Malfoy and saying, "Explain."

Malfoy began, "Potter attacked me, sir—"

"We attacked each other at the same time!" Harry interrupted.

"—and he hit Goyle—look," Malfoy said, gesturing to his friend.

Snape looked at the boy in question. "Hospital wing, Goyle," he instructed.

"Malfoy got Hermione!" Lucy cried. "_Look_!"

Ron pulled Hermione's hand back, so Snape could see her teeth.

"I see no difference," Snape sneered.

Tears sprang to Hermione's eyes. She spun around and sprinted away from the dungeon.

Lucy turned to yell at Snape when Jeremy wrapped one arm around her middle, holding her back, and put his other hand over her mouth. Her heart leapt, although she was too angry to properly acknowledge it.

Harry and Ron, however, wasted no time in shouting their protests.

"Let's see," Snape said. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Potter and Weasley. Now get inside, or it'll be a week's worth of detentions."

The class hurried to do as the professor said.

"Sorry," Jeremy murmured to Lucy, letting her go. "I was just making sure you didn't say anything you'd get in trouble for."

"It's—it's okay," Lucy replied, feeling a bit frazzled. "Um—I think we should sit next to Harry, so he won't be alone."

"Sure—that's fine with me," Jeremy said.

They entered the dungeon and joined Harry at his table, who was looking murderous. Lucy noticed that Ron was sitting with Seamus and Dean. She was disappointed; she had hoped that maybe Harry and Ron would have realized how silly they were being and make up.

"Are you all right?" Lucy asked Harry quietly.

"I can't believe Dumbledore lets Snape teach here," Harry answered.

"Antidotes!" Snape barked from the front of the room. "You should all have prepared your recipes now. I want you to brew them carefully, and then we will be selecting someone on whom to test one.…" He looked directly at Harry.

There was a knock on the dungeon door, and Colin Creevey came into the room. He walked up to Snape's desk.

"Yes?" Snape asked.

"Please, sir, I'm supposed to take Harry Potter upstairs," Colin reported.

"Potter has another hour of Potions to complete," Snape replied. "He will come upstairs when this class is finished."

"Sir—sir, Mr. Bagman wants him," Colin stuttered, looking nervous. "All the champions have got to go. I think they want to take photographs—"

"Very well, very well," Snape growled. "Potter, leave your things here. I want you back here later to test your antidote."

"Please, sir—he's got to take his things with him," Colin said. "All the champions—"

"Very _well_!" Snape shouted. "Potter—take your bag and get out of my sight!"

Harry picked up his bag and quickly left the room, Colin trailing behind him.

**~LJ:D~**

Snape was in a particularly foul mood for the next hour. He ended up choosing a Slytherin student to test their antidote, and Lucy breathed a silent sigh of relief.

After class, Lucy and Jeremy went up to the Great Hall for dinner. There were more badges all over the hall; even Hufflepuffs and Ravenclaws had them. Jeremy joined Lucy at the Gryffindor table, where he attempted to calm her down.

"I can't believe the teachers are okay with this," she fumed. "I would think Dumbledore would do something to stop them."

"Maybe he hasn't seen them yet," Jeremy said.

"With the way rumors spread in this school, I can't believe he hasn't heard of them," Lucy said.

Harry joined them then, looking exhausted.

"What happened?" Lucy asked immediately.

"Let the man get some food first," Jeremy chuckled.

"No sign of Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Not yet," Lucy replied. She waited impatiently for Harry to dish some food onto his plate before asking again, "_What_ _happened_?"

"Rita Skeeter was here," Harry replied. "She interviewed me for the _Daily Prophet_. Then we had the Wand Weighing Ceremony.… Then they took a bunch of photos for the papers. Which is _exactly_ what I need," he added sarcastically.

"It'll be okay, Harry," Lucy said. "People are going to realize that you've been telling the truth."

"I'd like them to realize it _now_," Harry said. "I just wanted to have a normal year. I wanted to cheer on Cedric just as much as everybody else."

"You have the misfortune of being you, though," Jeremy pointed out. "It's kind of hard to be the famous Harry Potter and have a regular school year."

"He's got a point," Lucy said. "I mean, first the Philosopher's Stone—then the Chamber of Secrets—and all that stuff with Sirius Black last year.…"

Harry sighed, and they finished their meal without saying much more.

**~LJ:D~**

After dinner, Lucy and Harry bid Jeremy good night and headed back up to Gryffindor tower.

"I guess I should get to work on Flitwick's extra homework," Harry said.

"Do you want any help?" Lucy asked.

"No, that's fine," Harry replied. "I'm going to go up to the dormitory. I'll see you in the morning."

"If you insist," Lucy said. "Good night, Harry."

Harry went up the boys' staircase, and Lucy decided to go up to her dormitory, as well. When she reached her room and pushed the door open, she found Hermione sitting on her bed.

"Hermione!" Lucy exclaimed. She hurried over to her friend. "Are you all right?"

"Yes, I'm much better now," Hermione replied, smiling.

Lucy looked closely at her friend's front teeth. "'Mione, your teeth look… different," she commented.

"When I went to see Madam Pomfrey, she gave me a mirror to watch as she shrunk my teeth," Hermione explained. "She told me to tell her when they were back to normal, and I let her shrink them a little bit more than they had been."

"Whatever gets the job done, I suppose," Lucy said, grinning back at Hermione.

"What happened in Potions?" Hermione asked.

"Snape decided to try out antidotes today," Lucy answered, sitting on her own bed. "He was going to try Harry's, but then Colin Creevey showed up and pulled Harry out of class. Stuff for the tournament—interviews, pictures, something about weighing wands—Snape ended up testing one of the Slytherin's antidotes."

"What about Ron?" Hermione asked. "Did he and Harry make up at all?"

"Not yet," Lucy said. "Oh, and at dinner, we saw a lot of other students with those _Potter Stinks_ badges.… I can't believe the teachers haven't put a stop to that yet."

"I'm sure they will when it becomes more of a disturbance," Hermione said.

Lucy frowned; she thought they should do it as soon as possible.

"Where's Harry now?" Hermione asked.

"He went to his dormitory," Lucy replied. "Said he was going to work on his extra Summoning Charm homework." Evie hopped up onto the bed and curled up in Lucy's lap. Lucy scratched the cat under her chin.

"We really need to get Ron and Harry talking again," Hermione said. "Harry might cheer up a bit more if he had his best friend back on his side."

"Yeah, but how would we do that?" Lucy asked.

She and Hermione exchanged blank looks for a moment, neither of them knowing how to make Harry and Ron start speaking again. Then Lucy laid back against her pillows, looking up at the ceiling of her four-poster bed. She frowned, knowing that Hermione was right, but both Harry and Ron were far too stubborn to admit they missed each other.

"I think I may go to bed," Lucy said after a few minutes. "It's been a long week. Maybe getting a few extra hours of sleep would be helpful."

Hermione nodded and said good night.

Lucy changed into her pajamas, pulled the curtains of her four-poster shut, and snuggled into her bed. Evie curled up next to Lucy, and they both fell asleep.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: I like the honesty that Jeremy presents in this chapter when Lucy asks him his opinion on the goblet debacle. Originally, I had him just blindly believing Lucy, but that doesn't seem entirely realistic. There are also a couple cute little moments between them in this chapter. Things are heating up! Wink. lol.**_


	13. 13: Midnight Meetings

_**A/N: Happy belated Mother's Day to all the mamas out there!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 13 – Midnight Meetings**

The next morning, Harry finally brought Lucy some good news.

"I got this from Sirius last night," he whispered to her at breakfast. He pulled a letter out and handed it over.

Lucy read it quickly.

_Harry—_

_I can't say everything I would like to in a letter. It's too risky in case the owl is intercepted. We need to talk face-to-face. Can you ensure that you are alone by the fire in Gryffindor Tower at one o'clock in the morning on the 22nd of November?_

_I know better than anyone that you can look after yourself, and while you're around Dumbledore and Moody, I don't think anyone will be able to hurt you. However, someone seems to be having a good try. Entering you in that tournament would have been very risky, especially right under Dumbledore's nose._

_Be on the watch, Harry. I still want to hear about anything unusual. Let me know about the 22nd of November as quickly as you can._

_Sirius_

"Have you written back to him yet?" Lucy asked as she handed the parchment back.

Harry shook his head. "I was going to after breakfast," he said. "Do you want to meet him with me? I know he asked me to be alone, but I don't think he'd care if you were there.…"

"I wouldn't mind talking to Sirius," Lucy answered, "but make sure you ask him in your answer, just to be sure."

"I will," Harry said. "Oh, and I've got my detention with Snape tomorrow night. Ron will be there, as well."

Lucy rose her eyebrows, but before she could say anything else, they were interrupted.

"Harry!" Hermione came hurrying over to them, clutching a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ in her hands.

"Hermione, how are you feeling?" Harry asked, sounding guilty. He hadn't seen Hermione since the fiasco before Potions class the day before.

"I'm fine," Hermione said quickly. "Madam Pomfrey fixed it in a heartbeat. Harry, I really think you should see this—"

"Here, read this letter from Sirius first," Harry replied, sliding the letter over to Hermione.

She picked it up and scanned it. When she'd finished reading, she said, "I hope he knows what he's doing. He better not be thinking of sneaking into the castle!"

Lucy felt her eyes widen; she hadn't even thought of that. "We'll need to come up with a way to get people out of the common room," she suggested, "just in case there's anyone still there by one o'clock."

"Never mind that for now," Hermione said, shoving the paper into Harry's hands. "You really should see this."

Lucy looked over Harry's shoulder to see a large photo of him on the front page. Harry sat in silence as he read the accompanying article, which carried over to pages two, six, and seven.

"What is all this?" Lucy asked when Harry finally handed the paper over.

"Rita Skeeter," Hermione replied darkly.

Lucy skimmed through the article, which hardly had anything to do with the Triwizard Tournament at all. Rita Skeeter had, instead, written all about Harry.

"What is _this_?" Lucy asked when she reached a certain section.

"I don't know where she got most of that stuff," Harry said quickly. "I don't cry about my parents."

"No, not that," Lucy said. She shook out the paper and laid it onto the table. "_Harry has at last found love at Hogwarts. His close friend, Colin Creevey, says that Harry is rarely seen out of the company of one Hermione Granger, a stunningly pretty Muggleborn girl who, like Harry, is one of the top students in the school._"

Hermione blushed. "Obviously Colin was a little overeager," she muttered.

"This is just _perfect_!" Harry said sarcastically, throwing his hands up in the air. "This is really great. Not only is everyone going to think that I'm just looking for attention, they're also going to think one of my best friends is my girlfriend and that I cry into my pillow every night."

**~LJ:D~**

As soon as the rest of the school got wind of the article, there was a lot of teasing directed at Harry. People were calling to him in the halls, asking if he needed a tissue or how his girlfriend was. Harry therefore spent a lot of time with Lucy and Hermione in the library. The girls were constantly trying to convince Harry to talk to Ron again.

"I didn't start this," Harry stated, folding his arms over his chest. "It's his problem."

"You _miss_ him!" Hermione exclaimed. "And I _know_ he misses you—"

"_Miss him_?" Harry repeated. "I don't _miss him_—"

They heard a group of girls giggling nearby, and they all looked up to see that Krum had taken a seat at a nearby table. They had seen him there many times, and he was always followed by girls trying to spy on him.

"He's not even good-looking!" Hermione hissed. "They only like him because he's famous! They wouldn't look twice at him if he couldn't do that Wonky-Faint thing—"

"Wronski Feint," Harry corrected in an annoyed tone.

**~LJ:D~**

The Saturday before the first task was the first scheduled Hogsmeade weekend of the year. Lucy and Hermione decided that getting out of the castle was exactly what Harry needed.

"What about Ron, though?" Harry asked after he agreed to go with them. "Don't you want to go with him?"

"Oh—w-well…" Hermione stammered. "I-I thought we m-might meet up with him—in the Three Broomsticks—"

"No," Harry said flatly.

Lucy sighed, "Harry, this is _so_ stupid—"

"I'll come, but I'm not meeting Ron," Harry insisted. "_And_ I'm wearing my Invisibility Cloak."

"_Why_ do you need to wear your Invisibility Cloak?" Lucy asked exasperatedly.

"I'm just tired of everyone staring at me," Harry said. "It'll be nice to be ignored for a little while."

Lucy immediately felt a little bad for him at his admission.

"Oh, all right, then…" Hermione agreed quickly. She sighed and added, "I hate talking to you in that cloak. I never know if I'm looking at you or not."

The girls waited for him to get his Invisibility Cloak, and then they set off for Hogsmeade together.

**~LJ:D~**

Their first stop was Honeydukes, where Lucy and Hermione had a hard time talking to Harry to figure out what he wanted.

"People keep looking at _us_ now," Hermione complained as they left the shop. "They think we're being strange."

"Don't move your lips so much when you're talking to me," Harry whispered from underneath the cloak.

"Come _on_," Lucy said. "Please, just take off your cloak for a bit. Nobody's going to bother you here."

"Oh, yeah?" Harry said. "Look behind you."

The girls turned to see Rita Skeeter and a man exiting from the Three Broomsticks and walking towards them. Neither of them paid any attention to Lucy nor Hermione as they passed.

"She's staying in the village," Harry's voice said a moment later. "I bet she's coming to watch the first task."

"She's gone," Hermione reported, looking up the street. "Why don't we go and have a butterbeer in the Three Broomsticks? It's a bit cold, isn't it?"

There was silence.

"You don't have to talk to Ron!" Lucy snapped.

Harry reluctantly agreed, so they walked down the street and entered the pub. Hermione went up to the bar get them butterbeers, while Lucy went to a table in the back, waving at Fred, George, Ron, and Lee when she passed them, and sat down. She heard Harry sit next to her.

A few minutes later, Hermione joined them, sliding a butterbeer across the table to Lucy and handing Harry another under his cloak. Then she sat and pulled her S.P.E.W. notebook out. "Maybe I should try and get some of the villagers involved in S.P.E.W.," she said.

"Yeah, right," Harry said. "Hermione, when are you going to give up on this _spew_ stuff?"

"When house-elves have decent wages and working conditions!" Hermione retorted.

Harry snorted in disbelief.

"Don't be an ass," Lucy scolded him.

"You know, I'm starting to think it's time for more direct action," Hermione went on thoughtfully. "I wonder how you get into the school kitchens.…"

"No idea," Harry replied.

"Ask Fred or George," Lucy added.

They spent the next few minutes in silence as they drank their butterbeer.

"Look, it's Hagrid!" Hermione exclaimed.

Lucy looked to where she was pointing and saw Hagrid's head rising up over the other pub-goers. He had been sitting at a table with Professor Moody. They were about to leave the pub when Moody looked over at their table. He tapped Hagrid on his back and said something to him. They made their way back to the table.

"All righ', Hermione? Lucy?" Hagrid asked as they approached.

"Hello," Hermione said at the same time as Lucy said, "Hi, Hagrid."

Moody leaned over as though he was going to read Hermione's notebook. "Nice cloak, Potter," he said so quietly that only those at the table could hear.

Harry asked, "Can your eye—I mean, can you—?"

"Yeah, it can see through Invisibility Cloaks," Moody replied. "It's come in useful at times, I can tell you."

Hagrid was smiling down at where Harry was sitting, and then he, too, bent down and whispered something. After a moment, he straightened up again and said in a normal voice, "Nice ter see yeh, Hermione, Lucy." He smiled and winked at them before turning for the door, and Moody followed him out.

"Why does Hagrid want me to meet him at midnight?" Harry asked.

"Does he?" Lucy asked.

"I wonder what he's up to," Hermione said. "I don't know whether you should go, Harry.… It might make you late for Sirius. Maybe you should send Hedwig down to him, saying that you can't go."

"Maybe," Harry agreed, "but I think it might be easier to just go down there and see what he wants."

**~LJ:D~**

At eleven-thirty that evening, Harry donned his Invisibility Cloak again. Hermione waited outside the portrait hole and gave the Fat Lady the password, so Harry could leave the common room. Once Harry had left, Lucy and Hermione sat together on the couch, doing their Arithmancy homework.

"I wonder what Hagrid wanted with Harry that he didn't want to tell us about," Lucy said.

"I'm not sure," Hermione replied. "It's a good thing you're going to be here for the meeting with Sirius in case Harry runs a bit late."

"Don't you want to be here, as well?" Lucy asked.

"No, it's all right," Hermione answered. "But I'll help you make sure that everyone's out of the common room before I go to sleep."

**~LJ:D~**

An hour later, however, there was no need to get anyone out of the common room. Lucy and Hermione were the only two left, and Hermione was beginning to yawn.

"I think I'll call it a night," she said. "Are you going to be okay by yourself?"

"I'll be fine," Lucy replied. "I've got the Dungbombs in case anyone shows up again."

Hermione left for the girls' staircase, leaving Lucy alone. Lucy settled against the couch cushions and hoped that Harry would be back soon.

**~LJ:D~**

At five minutes to one in the morning, Harry finally showed up, yanking the Invisibility Cloak over his head and panting.

"What's up, Harry?" Lucy asked worriedly.

Harry flopped onto the couch next to her. "I ran all the way back, so I wouldn't miss Sirius," he replied.

"What did Hagrid want?" Lucy questioned.

"He showed me what was coming in the first task," Harry answered.

"Isn't that cheating?" Lucy wondered, frowning.

Harry shrugged but said nothing. Instead, he leaned forward and picked up a badge from the table; it was one of the _Support Cedric Diggory!_ badges. Colin and his little brother Dennis had been trying to change it to read _Support Harry Potter!_, but now it said _POTTER REALLY STINKS_.

"You have to give them credit for trying," Lucy commented.

Harry sighed. He tossed the badge back onto the table and then glanced at the fire. He jumped before leaning forward. "Sirius!" he exclaimed. "How're you doing?"

Sirius's head was sitting in the middle of the fire, just like Mr. Diggory's head back at the Burrow. "Never mind me," Sirius said dismissively. "How are _you_?"

"I'm—" Harry stopped abruptly. He paused for a moment, and then everything he'd been keeping bottled up for the past few weeks came tumbling out of his mouth. He told Sirius about how nobody would believe that he hadn't entered the tournament, especially Ron. Then he told Sirius about the Rita Skeeter interview and how the story she had written was a great big lie.

"Now Hagrid's just shown me what's coming in the first task," Harry finished, "and it's dragons, Sirius. I'm a goner."

"_Dragons_?" Lucy gasped.

Sirius was watching Harry with a look of concern. "Dragons we can deal with, Harry, but we'll get to that in a minute," he said. "I haven't got long here—I've broken into a Wizarding house to use the fire, but they could be back at any time. There are things I need to warn you about."

"What?" Lucy and Harry prompted him.

"Karkaroff," Sirius replied. "He was a Death Eater. You know what Death Eaters are, don't you?" He glanced between his two godchildren as they nodded.

"Yes," Harry answered. "He—what?"

"He was caught," Sirius explained quickly. "He was in Azkaban with me, but he got released. I'd bet everything that's why Dumbledore wanted an Auror at Hogwarts this year—to keep an eye on him. Moody was the one who caught Karkaroff and put him in Azkaban in the first place."

"Karkaroff got released?" Harry repeated. "Why did they release him?"

"He did a deal with the Ministry of Magic," Sirius said. "He said he'd seen the error of his ways, and then he named names—he put a load of other people into Azkaban in his place.… He's not very popular in there, I can tell you. Since he got out, from what I can tell, he's been teaching the Dark Arts to every student who passes through that school of his, so watch out for the Durmstrang champion, as well."

"Okay," Harry agreed, "but… are you saying _Karkaroff_ put my name in the goblet? Because if he did, he's a really good actor. He seemed _furious_ about it. He wanted to stop me from competing."

"We _know_ he's a good actor," Sirius shot back, "because he convinced the Ministry of Magic to set him free, didn't he? Now, I've been keeping an eye on the _Daily Prophet_, Harry—"

"You and the rest of the world," Harry muttered darkly.

"And reading between the lines of that Skeeter woman's article last month," Sirius continued, "Moody was attacked the night before he started at Hogwarts. Now, I know she says it was another false alarm, but I don't think so, somehow. I think someone tried to stop him from getting to Hogwarts. I think someone knew their job would be a lot more difficult with him around. No one's going to look into it too closely; Mad-Eye's heard intruders a bit too often, but that doesn't mean he can't still spot the real thing. Moody was the best Auror the Ministry ever had."

"So—what are you saying?" Harry asked. "Karkaroff's trying to kill me? But—why?"

"I've been hearing some very strange things," Sirius admitted. "The Death Eaters seem to be a bit more active than usual lately. They showed themselves at the Quidditch World Cup, didn't they? Then someone set off the Dark Mark… and then—did you hear about that Ministry of Magic witch who's gone missing?"

"Bertha Jorkins!" Lucy exclaimed.

"Exactly," Sirius said, nodding. "She disappeared in Albania, and that's definitely where Voldemort was rumored to be last.… She would have known the Triwizard Tournament was coming up, wouldn't she?"

"Yeah, but… it's not very likely she'd have walked straight into Voldemort, is it?" Harry asked.

"Listen, I knew Bertha Jorkins," Sirius said. "She was at Hogwarts when I was, a few years above your dad and me, and she was an idiot. Very nosy, but no brains—none at all. It's not a good combination. I'd say she'd be very easy to lure into a trap."

"So—so Voldemort could have found out about the tournament?" Harry said. "Is that what you mean? You think Karkaroff might be here on his orders?"

"I don't know," Sirius said. "I just don't know.… Karkaroff doesn't strike me as the type who'd go back to Voldemort unless he knew Voldemort was powerful enough to protect him. Whoever put your name in that goblet did it for a reason, and I can't help thinking the tournament would be a very good way to attack you and make it look like an accident."

"Looks like a really good plan from where I'm standing," Harry said darkly. "They'll just have to stand back and let the dragons do their stuff."

"Right—these dragons," Sirius said. "There's a way, Harry. Don't be tempted to try a Stunning Spell—dragons are strong and too powerfully magical to be knocked out by a single Stunner. You need about half a dozen wizards at a time to overcome a dragon—"

"Yeah, I know," Harry commented. "I just saw."

"You _can_ do it alone," Sirius continued. "There is a way, and a simple spell's all you need. Just—"

He stopped as Lucy held her hands up to quiet them both. She could hear footsteps on one of the dormitory staircases. "Go!" she hissed at Sirius. "_Go_! There's someone coming!"

Harry stood up and turned his back to the fire.

"Lucy!" Sirius said, calling her attention back to him. "Watch over him. Keep him safe." Then his head disappeared.

Lucy quickly stood up next to Harry, staring at the staircases. "Ron," she sighed in relief.

Ron had emerged from the boys' staircase, and he stopped when he saw Lucy and Harry standing in the common room. "Who were you talking to?" he asked.

"What's that got to do with you?" Harry growled. "What are you doing down here at this time of night?"

Lucy glared at him, but he didn't notice.

"I just wondered where you—" Ron stopped himself. "Nothing, I'm going back to bed."

"Just thought you'd come nosing around, did you?" Harry demanded.

"Harry!" Lucy gasped.

"Sorry about that," Ron replied, flushing a bit. "Should've realized you didn't want to be disturbed. I'll let you get on with practicing for your next interview in peace."

"Ron—Harry—stop it!" Lucy begged.

But Harry grabbed one of the _Support Cedric Diggory!_ badges and threw it at Ron; it hit him in the forehead. "There you go," Harry snarled. "Something for you to wear on Tuesday. You might even have a damn scar now, if you're lucky.… That's what you want, isn't it?" He stomped towards Ron, brushed past him, and headed up the stairs without another word.

Lucy looked at Ron, who looked equally angry and confused. "Are you okay?" she asked.

Ron nodded his head. "Of course I'm okay," he said. "I'm fine."

"You know Harry didn't mean what he said," Lucy continued. "He's just been under a lot of stress, what with a majority of the school bullying him and the first task coming up on Tuesday—"

"He shouldn't have put his name in the goblet, then," Ron said firmly.

"How can you still think that Harry put his name in himself?" Lucy asked incredulously. Ron just looked away from her, and she went on, "He's your _best_ _friend_. Why would he still be lying to you about this?"

Ron shook his head. "You should ask him that," he replied.

Lucy sighed. "Well, I'm going to bed," she said. "It's pretty late. You probably should get some sleep, too. Good night, Ron."

"Night," Ron replied.

Lucy left the common room, heading up the girls' staircase. When she got to her dormitory, she saw that Hermione was already asleep. Lucy got into bed, worrying about Harry. After tossing and turning for a while, she was finally able to fall asleep.

**~LJ:D~**


	14. 14: The Dragon Task

_**A/N: Fun, random fact. Today is my cat Doki's sixth birthday! Happy birthday, Doki!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 14 – The Dragon Task**

"How did you sleep?" Hermione asked when Lucy joined her for breakfast the next morning.

"Oh, wonderfully," Lucy replied sarcastically. "I'm just so worried for Harry and the first task."

"What happened last night?" Hermione questioned, but Lucy shook her head.

"There's a lot of it," she said. "You're going to have to wait for Harry to help explain it all."

They weren't alone for too long. Harry joined them about ten minutes later and waited anxiously for them to finish their breakfast.

"Harry, don't you want anything?" Lucy asked.

Harry shook his head. So, Lucy and Hermione finished their meals and joined Harry for a walk outside around the grounds.

Harry recounted everything that had happened the night before to Hermione.

"Karkaroff was a Death Eater?" Hermione repeated when Harry was finished telling his story. "Sirius thinks that _he_ entered you into the tournament? And _dragons_?"

"Yeah," Harry replied simply.

"Do you have any ideas about how to get past a dragon?" Hermione asked.

"Sirius said a simple spell would do it," Lucy said.

"I'm more worried about if Karkaroff put my name in the goblet," Harry admitted.

"Let's just try and keep you alive until Tuesday evening," Hermione reasoned, "and then we can worry about Karkaroff."

They took a few laps around the lake, trying to brainstorm a simple spell that could help Harry get past a dragon, but they were coming up blank.

"Let's head up to the library," Hermione suggested. "Maybe we can find something helpful in there."

**~LJ:D~**

So, the three of them trooped back up to the castle and went straight to the library. They pulled as many books on dragons from the shelves as they could find and began to leaf through them.

"_Talon-clipping by charms… treating scale-rot…_" Lucy read aloud. "This isn't helpful. This is for people like Hagrid, who want to keep them healthy—"

"_Dragons are extremely difficult to slay, owing to the ancient magic that imbues their thick hides, which none but the most powerful spells can penetrate_…" Hermione recited. "Sirius said a simple one would do it, though—"

"Let's try some simple spellbooks, then," Harry replied.

They collected some spellbooks and began looking through those.

"Well, there are Switching Spells…" Hermione said, flipping through pages, "but what's the point of Switching it? Unless you swapped its fangs for wine-gums or something that would make it less dangerous.… The trouble is, like that other book said, not much is going to get through a dragon's hide.… I'd say Transfigure it, but something that big, you really haven't a hope. I doubt even Professor McGonagall—unless you're supposed to put the spell on _yourself_? Maybe to give yourself extra powers? But _they're_ not simple spells—I mean, we haven't done _any_ of those in class. I only know about them because I've been doing O.W.L. practice papers—"

"Hermione," Harry interrupted, "will you shut up for a bit, please? I'm trying to concentrate."

Hermione mouthed _sorry_ and was silent.

After a few minutes, Lucy looked around and saw Krum entering the library. "Look, 'Mione—it's your favorite person," she teased.

Hermione looked around at Krum and sighed. "Why can't he read on his stupid ship?" she hissed. "Come on, Harry. We'll go back to the common room—his fan club'll be here in a moment, twittering away.…"

The three of them got up and took a few of the books to be checked out. As they exited the library, a group of girls quietly slipped passed them; their leader was wearing a Bulgaria scarf around her waist. Hermione scoffed, and the three Gryffindors returned to their common room.

**~LJ:D~**

They didn't have any luck for the rest of Sunday, and they all went to bed feeling very worried. Monday morning dawned, and Lucy, Harry, and Hermione went down to breakfast, just like any ordinary weekday. Lucy made sure that Harry ate something, and then they got up to head to their first class of the day.

"Hermione, Lucy, I'll see you in the greenhouses," Harry said suddenly as they stood up. "Go on; I'll catch you up."

"Harry, you'll be late," Hermione insisted. "The bell's about to ring—"

"I'll catch you up, okay?" Harry interrupted.

Lucy nodded and pulled Hermione away.

"What is he _doing_?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know, but we don't want to be late for class," Lucy replied.

The girls went down to Herbology with the rest of the Gryffindors. Professor Sprout called the class to order and set them to work on pruning Flutterby Bushes.

"Where is he?" Hermione asked over the bush she and Lucy were pruning together, and Lucy shrugged.

A few minutes later, however, Harry entered the greenhouse. He apologized to Professor Sprout for being late, and then he hurried over to the girls. "Hermione, Lucy," he whispered. "I need you to help me."

"What d'you think we've been trying to do, Harry?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.

"I need to learn how to do a Summoning Charm properly by tomorrow afternoon," Harry said.

Lucy and Hermione exchanged bewildered looks.

"Back to work, please, you three!" Professor Sprout said as she walked by.

**~LJ:D~**

After Herbology, Harry told them that he'd let Cedric know about the dragons, and Moody had overheard them. Then he told them about his conversation with Moody. He explained that Moody had helped him come up with the idea to try flying to get around the dragon, which is why he needed to know how to do a Summoning Charm. He needed to get his broom from his dormitory out to where the first task would be held.

Instead of having lunch, the three of them found an empty classroom to practice in. Lucy and Hermione watched as Harry attempted to get objects to fly to him. Unfortunately, the objects would only get about halfway across the room when they would fall to the floor.

"Concentrate, Harry," Hermione said. "_Concentrate_—"

"What the hell d'you think I'm trying to do?" Harry snapped. "A great big dragon keeps popping up in my head for some reason.… Okay, try again—"

At the end of the lunch hour, Harry wanted to skip Divination to keep practicing, but Lucy and Hermione refused to skip Arithmancy.

"Harry, it'll be fine," Lucy tried to reassure him before they parted ways. "We'll practice for the rest of the evening with you, _after_ you've had some dinner."

**~LJ:D~**

After class, they all met up in the Great Hall, where Lucy made sure Harry had something to eat, and then they went back to the same empty classroom they'd been in earlier. They made sure to bring the Invisibility Cloak, so they could stay out later and avoid the teachers.

They practiced for hours, and Harry was slowly improving. However, at around midnight, Peeves found them and started to throw chairs across the room at Harry, pretending to help. He was making so much noise that Lucy, Harry, and Hermione went back up to Gryffindor Tower before Filch or one of the teachers found them. Thankfully, the common room was completely empty.

Another couple of hours passed, and Harry had finally gotten the hang of the charm.

"That's better, Harry," Hermione said, looking very tired. "That's loads better."

"Well, now we know what to do next time I can't manage a spell," Harry said, tossing a dictionary to Lucy. "Just threaten me with a dragon. Right—_Accio Dictionary_!"

The book flew from Lucy's hands and shot across the room to Harry, who caught it easily.

"I really think you've got it," Lucy said, grinning at Harry across the room.

"Just as long as it works tomorrow," Harry replied. "The Firebolt's going to be much farther away than the stuff in here. It's going to be in the castle, and I'm going to be out there on the grounds—"

"That doesn't matter," Hermione assured him. "Just as long as you're concentrating really, really hard on it, it'll come. We'd better get some sleep.… You're going to need it."

**~LJ:D~**

The next day, the entire castle was abuzz with energy. All of the students were excited, partially for the first task later that afternoon and partially because all afternoon classes had been canceled so the school could watch the task.

Lucy found that her morning classes went by extremely quickly. Then, during lunch, Professor McGonagall came to the Gryffindor table to fetch Harry for the tournament.

"Potter, the champions have to come down onto the grounds now," she said. "You have to get ready for your first task."

"Okay," Harry replied, dropping his fork onto his plate and standing up.

"Good luck, Harry," Hermione said.

"You'll be fine. You can do it!" Lucy added.

"Yeah," Harry said, and then he followed Professor McGonagall out.

Hermione put her fork down after Harry had disappeared from sight. "I'm so nervous," she moaned to Lucy.

"Are you ready for the first task?" Jeremy had come over to join them from the Slytherin table.

Lucy smiled at him. "We just hope Harry is," she told him.

"I'm sure he'll be okay," Jeremy replied. "If the tasks really were too difficult for him, surely Dumbledore would have done something about it."

"We'd hope so," Lucy agreed.

Ron came over then and sat down next to Hermione. "Do you mind if I sit with you to watch the first task?" he asked tentatively.

"Of course you can," Hermione said. "Why couldn't you?"

"It's just—I know I haven't been friendly with Harry for the past few weeks, and I know you haven't been happy with me," Ron said. "I've been a bit childish."

"I'm glad you admit it," Lucy said half-jokingly. "Of course you can sit with us, Ron."

**~LJ:D~**

A short while later, the rest of the teachers were directing the school to head down to the grounds. There had been a path laid out for the school to follow, and soon Lucy, Hermione, Ron, and Jeremy reached the stands around a large enclosure. They took their places; Lucy and Hermione exchanged a quick glance as Ron and Jeremy contemplated what would be coming up next. There was a tent across the way, where Lucy guessed Harry and the other champions were waiting for the task to begin.

Then Dumbledore was walking into the middle of the enclosure, followed by Madam Maxime, Karkaroff, and Crouch. He was waving for silence.

"Good afternoon!" he called. "I just want to remind everyone watching to remain in their seats for their own safety. Each champion will be coming out individually to complete the task; Mr. Bagman is currently deciding the order with the champions, and when he is finished, he will be commentating for all of us. At the end of each champion's turn, the judges will be giving them a score. We also have wizards standing around the enclosure to help in case anything dangerous happens. Again, please remain in your seats for the entire task."

Then a whistle sounded, and Bagman came dashing into the enclosure. He joined the other four judges in their seats right in front of the rest of the crowd. Bagman pointed his wand at his neck, and his voice was amplified for the crowd to hear him.

"Welcome to the first task of the Triwizard Tournament!" he announced, and the students cheered in excitement. "Would the handlers please bring forward the first dragon?" Bagman requested.

The crowd all let out excited shouts as the dragon handlers brought the first dragon into the enclosure. It was chained to the ground next to a nest of what appeared to be eggs.

"Ron, isn't that Charlie?" Lucy asked, pointing at one of the handlers.

Ron looked to where she was pointing and then grinned and nodded at her.

"The task that the champions have been assigned is to collect the golden egg from the dragon!" Bagman announced for the crowd. "First up, we have Mr. Diggory!"

Cedric appeared from tent, looking incredibly nervous. He pulled his wand out and pointed it at a rock on the ground, which began to transform into what looked like a dog.

"He must be trying to distract it," Jeremy said as the dragon turned its attention to the dog.

Cedric began to sneak around the dragon as it continued to look at the dog. However, when Cedric had only gone halfway towards the eggs, the dragon turned to him and let out some fire from its snout.

"Oooh, narrow miss there! Very narrow!" Bagman called.

Cedric went running back before pointing his wand on the dog, enlarging it and distracting the dragon once again.

"He's taking a risk, this one!" Bagman shouted as the dragon turned back to Cedric and forced him to run backwards once more.

Cedric seemed frustrated and attempted to distract the dragon once again. His next few attempts didn't have any effect on the dragon, and the minutes were ticking by.

Then Cedric finally got the dragon to concentrate on the dog. He ran for the eggs, and the dragon turned back to him again. Fortunately for him, he was close enough to the eggs that he was able to swipe up the golden one. The dragon breathed fire at him once more, and this time it hit its mark.

There were screams going through the crowd as Cedric stumbled away with the egg tucked under his arm. He ran towards the edge of the enclosure, and a whistle sounded out. The dragon handlers subdued the dragon and took it away, and Madam Pomfrey ran out to look at Cedric's face.

"Very good indeed!" Bagman shouted. "Now the marks from the judges!"

The judges pointed their wands into the air one at a time, and numbers appeared, giving Cedric his score. Once the judges had scored Cedric, Madam Pomfrey whisked him away into another tent.

"One down! Three to go!" Bagman said. "Miss Delacour, if you please!"

The dragon handlers had brought out the next dragon and placed the golden egg into the nest. Fleur marched out of the champions' tent and pulled her wand out. The dragon was watching her intensely, and she began casting a charm at the dragon.

Nothing seemed to happen at first, but then they all noticed the dragon's eyes drooping.

"What is she doing?" Lucy asked.

"It looks like she's trying to put it to sleep," Hermione replied. "But there's no way she'd be able to do that on her own!"

But the dragon lowered its head and began to make a noise that sounded like snoring. Fleur started to make her way around the dragon to the egg nest when the dragon's snore shot some fire out of its nose. Fleur's skirt caught fire, and she quickly put it out with her wand.

When she had taken her wand away from the dragon, it began to wake up, so she quickly started to put it to sleep once again. Then she was able to edge her way around the beast and grab her golden egg.

She hurried to the edge of the enclosure like Cedric had, and the crowd burst into cheering. The dragon handlers quickly took the dragon away, and the judges gave their scores. Fleur was escorted into the second tent, as well, as the next dragon was brought out.

"Here comes Mr. Krum!" Bagman shouted.

Krum came out of the first tent. He pointed his wand up at the dragon and sent a spell at it that hit it right in the eyes. The dragon gave a loud howl and began to stomp around the enclosure.

"Well, the dragon isn't paying Krum any attention, but now he has to get around it somehow!" Jeremy said with a shake of his head.

It took Krum quite a while to get around the rampaging dragon, and it managed to tread on some of the real eggs before he eventually managed to get his egg and make it to the edge of the enclosure. The dragon was taken away, Krum was given his score, and then he slumped off to the second tent.

The final dragon was brought into the enclosure.

"Last but not least, Mr. Potter!" Bagman cried.

Lucy, Hermione, Ron, and Jeremy cheered loudly as Harry exited the champions' tent. He took his wand out.

"Concentrate, Harry," Hermione whispered, clinging to Lucy's arm, and Lucy grabbed Jeremy's hand for support.

"_Accio Firebolt_!" Harry bellowed.

There was about a minute of nothing as the dragon stared at Harry, and Harry waited to see if his broom was coming. Then there was a faint whizzing sound, and the Firebolt appeared, flying through the air to Harry. He mounted his broom and kicked off, rising high into the air.

"Come on, Harry!" Lucy shouted, gripping Jeremy's hand tightly.

Harry dived, and the dragon followed him. The dragon let out a burst of fire, but Harry dodged it, making it seem like the easiest thing in the world.

"Great Scott, he can fly!" Bagman shouted. "Are you watching this, Mr. Krum?"

Harry was flying upwards again, spinning in circles to try and make the dragon dizzy. Then he dove again as the dragon opened its mouth. It missed him, but this time it brought its tail up and hit Harry in the arm.

"Harry!" Hermione screamed, and Lucy winced.

But Harry seemed fine. He wheeled about in the air, looking at the dragon. Then he began to rise steadily upwards, weaving back and forth. The higher he climbed, the more frustrated the dragon seemed to get. It lashed out its tail, but Harry was too high to reach. The dragon let out some more fire, and Harry easily dodged it.

Finally, the dragon stood up, unfurling its giant wings, and Harry dove towards the ground. He was moving too fast for the dragon to realize what had happened. Harry pulled out of the dive with the egg under his arm before the dragon could find him again, but by then the dragon handlers were rushing forward to take it away.

Lucy, Hermione, Ron, and Jeremy began cheering loudly.

"Look at that!" Bagman cried. "Will you look at that? Our youngest champion is quickest to get his egg! Well, this is going to shorten the odds on Mr. Potter!"

Professor McGonagall, Moody, and Hagrid were waving Harry down to them.

"Come on; let's go meet him," Hermione said.

Lucy realized she was still holding Jeremy's hand, and she quickly let go of him. "Um—do you want to come with?" she asked him, blushing.

"No, that's okay," Jeremy replied. "You go on."

"Ron, are you coming?" Hermione asked.

Ron nodded quickly, looking a bit peculiar.

The three of them hurried out of the stands and ran for the second tent. They burst inside to see Harry on his feet, his shoulder already looking healed.

"Harry, you were brilliant!" Hermione exclaimed.

"You were amazing! You really were!" Lucy added, rushing forward and hugging her brother.

Harry smiled at the girls and then turned to look at Ron.

"Harry," Ron began, "whoever put your name in that goblet—I—I reckon they're trying to do you in!"

Lucy's eyes widened, and she looked back and forth between Ron and Harry.

"Caught on, have you?" Harry asked. "Took you long enough." Ron opened his mouth, but Harry shook his head. "It's okay," he said. "Forget it."

"No," Ron said, "I shouldn't've—"

"_Forget it_," Harry interrupted firmly. Ron smiled at his friend, and Harry grinned back.

Hermione suddenly burst into tears, surprising the other three.

"There's nothing to cry about!" Harry said.

"You two are so _stupid_!" she cried before hugging them both and then running from the tent.

"Barking mad," Ron said, looking after her in surprise.

"She's got a point, though," Lucy said. "You two _are_ stupid. Harry, c'mon—they'll be putting up your scores.…"

Harry grabbed his Firebolt and the golden egg, and the three of them left the tent.

"You were the best, you know. No competition," Ron began. "Cedric did this weird thing where he Transfigured a rock on the ground—turned it into a dog—he was trying to make the dragon go for the dog instead of him. Well, it was a pretty cool bit of Transfiguration, and it sort of worked. He did get the egg, but he got burned, as well—the dragon changed its mind halfway through and decided it would rather have him than the Labrador; he only just got away.

"Then that Fleur girl tried this sort of charm. I think she was trying to put it into a trance—well, that kind of worked, too. It went all sleepy, but then it started snoring. This great jet of flame shot out, and her skirt caught fire—she put it out with a bit of water out of her wand.

"Then Krum—you won't believe this, but he didn't even think of flying! He was probably the best after you, though. Hit it with some sort of spell right in the eye. Only thing is, it went trampling around in agony and squashed half the real eggs—they took marks off for that. He wasn't supposed to do any damage to them."

The three of them stepped up in front of the judges, and Lucy explained to Harry, "It's marked out of ten from each one."

Madam Maxime went first, an eight shooting out of the end of her wand.

"Not bad!" Ron commented. "I suppose she took marks off for your shoulder.…"

Crouch was next, and he gave Harry a nine.

"Looking good!" Ron said, clapping Harry on the back.

Dumbledore put up a nine, as well, and Bagman went next, giving Harry a ten.

"Ten?" Harry said blankly. "But—I got hurt.… What's he playing at?"

"Harry, don't complain!" Ron said.

Karkaroff went last, and he only gave Harry a four.

"_What_?" Ron shouted. "_Four_? You lousy, biased scumbag! You gave Krum a ten!"

Harry grinned happily, however.

Then Charlie Weasley came running over to them. "You're tied in first place, Harry!" he said. "You and Krum!"

Lucy grabbed Harry's arm in excitement, and Ron thumped Harry's uninjured shoulder.

"Listen, I've got to run," Charlie continued. "I've got to go and send Mum an owl. I swore I'd tell her what happened—but that was unbelievable! Oh, yeah—they told me to tell you that you've got to hang around for a few more minutes.… Bagman wants a word back in the champions' tent."

Lucy and Ron told Harry they'd wait, and he went back into the first tent.

"How's school been for you two?" Charlie asked.

"It's been great," Lucy answered. "Just a little hectic, what with Harry being named a champion and all."

"I believe it," Charlie said. "Well, I've got to get going. I'll let Mum know you said hi!" He grinned and waved before hurrying off.

A few minutes later, Harry exited the tent, and he, Lucy, and Ron set off for the castle. Harry asked for more details about how the other champions had done, and Lucy and Ron began to tell him what exactly had happened.

They were only just telling him about Cedric when a witch jumped out at them. Lucy recognized her after a moment as Rita Skeeter, the journalist who had written the horrible article about Harry.

"Congratulations, Harry!" she said, grinning and holding a quill in one hand. "I wonder if you could give me a quick word. How you felt facing that dragon? How you feel _now_, about the fairness of the scoring?"

"Yeah, you can have a word," Harry said scathingly. "_Good-bye_."

He stepped around Rita Skeeter, followed by Lucy and Ron, who were roaring with laughter.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: I had a really hard time describing the other champions' turns with the dragons. We only really know a little bit of what happened with them, based on a bit of Bagman's commentary and Ron's description after the fact.**_


	15. 15: The House-Elves of Hogwarts

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 15 – The House-Elves of Hogwarts**

The evening after the first task, Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went up to the Owlery so Harry could send Sirius a letter about how he did against the dragon. As they walked through the castle, Harry told Ron what Sirius had said about Karkaroff.

Ron was surprised at first, but then he figured that they should have realized it. "Fits, doesn't it?" he started. "Remember what Malfoy said on the train? About his dad being friends with Karkaroff? Now we know where they knew each other. They were probably running around in masks together at the World Cup.… I'll tell you one thing, though, Harry: it if _was_ Karkaroff who put your name in the goblet, he's going to be feeling really stupid now, isn't he? Didn't work, did it? You only got a scratch! Come here—I'll do it—"

Harry had been attempting to catch Pig and tie the letter to his leg. Ron reached out, caught the over-excited owl, and held him still so Harry could finish attaching the letter to him.

"There's no way any of the other tasks are going to be that dangerous. How could they be?" Ron reasoned. "You know what? I reckon you could win this whole tournament, Harry. I'm serious." He carried Pig over to the window and practically threw him out of it.

"Harry's got a long way to go before he finishes this tournament," Hermione pointed out. "If that was the first task, I hate to think what's coming net."

"Right little ray of sunshine, aren't you?" Ron asked. "You and Professor Trelawney should get together sometime."

"She's got a point," Lucy said. "Why would they make the first task the hardest one? Sorry, Harry," she added, glancing at Harry, who shrugged.

"Well, we'd better get downstairs for your surprise party, Harry," Ron said. "Fred and George should have nicked enough food from the kitchens by now."

**~LJ:D~**

They headed back to Gryffindor Tower, and when they climbed into the portrait hole, they were greeted by loud cheers. Fred and George had nicked so much food that there was practically a miniature feast being held in the common room. Lee Jordan let off a bunch of fireworks, and Dean had hand-drawn some banners that were hanging from the walls.

Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione helped themselves to some food and sat down. Lucy watched happily as Harry shoveled his food into his mouth; in the past few days, he'd hardly eaten anything.

"Blimey, this is heavy," Lee said, picking up the golden egg that Harry had collected. "Open it, Harry! Go on! Let's just see what's inside it!"

"He's supposed to work out the clue on his own," Hermione said. "It's in the tournament rules—"

"He was supposed to work out how to get past the dragon on his own, too," Lucy hissed at Hermione. Then she raised her voice and urged, "Yeah, go on, Harry! Open it!"

Many of the people around them agreed, telling Harry to open the egg. Lee handed the egg over to Harry, who took a few seconds to pry it open.

As soon as it was opened, a loud, screeching sound came from inside. Everyone in the common room pressed their hands over their ears.

"Fucking _shut it!"_ Fred shouted in distress, and Harry quickly slammed the egg closed.

"What _was_ that?" Seamus asked once the noise had stopped. "Sounded like a banshee.… Maybe you've got to get past one of those next, Harry!"

"It was someone being tortured!" Neville guessed. "You're going to have to fight the Cruciatus Curse!"

"Don't be a prat, Neville," George said. "That's illegal. They wouldn't use the Cruciatus Curse on the champions. I thought it sounded a bit like Percy singing—maybe you've got to attack him while he's in the shower, Harry." Lucy snorted, and George winked at her.

Everyone around them went back to their conversations.

"Want a jam tart, Hermione?" Fred offered. Hermione looked warily at the plate that Fred was holding out to her, and he assured her, "It's all right. I haven't done anything to them. It's the custard creams you've got to watch—"

Neville had just bitten into a custard cream, and he quickly spit it out.

Fred laughed, saying, "Just my little joke, Neville.…"

Hermione took the jam tart. "Did you get all this from the kitchens, Fred?" she asked.

"Yep," Fred replied. Then, mimicking a house-elf, he said, "_Anything we can get you, sir, anything at all!_" He laughed and continued in his normal voice, "They're dead helpful—get me a roast ox if I said I was peckish."

"How do you get in there?" Hermione asked.

"Easy," Fred replied. "There's a concealed door behind a painting of a bowl of fruit. Just tickle the pear, and it giggles—" He stopped and then looked down at her through slightly narrowed eyes. "Why?"

"Nothing," Hermione insisted.

"Going to try and lead the house-elves out on strike now, are you?" George asked. "Going to give up all the leaflet stuff and try and stir them up into rebellion?"

People around them chuckled, but Lucy put her hand on George's arm. "Stop it," she said gently. "Leave her alone." She looked between Fred and George, who were still looking suspicious.

"Don't you go upsetting them and telling them they've got to take clothes and salaries!" Fred told Hermione. "You'll put them off their cooking!"

Lucy squeezed George's arm and raised her eyebrows, silently asking him to leave her friend alone.

Suddenly, there was a squawk, and Neville turned into a large canary. Everyone burst out laughing.

"Oh—sorry, Neville!" Fred said. "I forgot—it _was _the custard creams we hexed—"

After a minute of confused tweeting, Neville molted, and he appeared restored to normal. He began laughing, as well, looking relieved.

"Canary Creams!" Fred announced to the crowd. "George and I invented them—seven Sickles each—a bargain!"

**~LJ:D~**

The Gryffindors continued to party until about one in the morning when most of them realized that they had classes to attend in the morning. Lucy was about to go up to her dormitory when George called her name.

"I'll be right up," Lucy assured Hermione, and she went back to where George was sitting.

"I'm sorry we were giving Hermione a hard time," George said. "We just don't want her to be causing any trouble in the kitchens."

"I don't want her causing trouble, either," Lucy admitted. "This is just something that's become really important to her, and I'm sick of people telling her that she's stupid for trying to do something about it. You know?"

"I guess," George sighed. "Are you going up to bed?"

"Yeah, I have to get some rest for classes tomorrow," Lucy said. "I'll see you later." She grinned at him, and he smiled back.

When Lucy reached her dormitory, she changed into her pajamas and crawled into bed.

"So, Lucy… was I seeing things, or were you holding hands with Jeremy during the first task?" Hermione teased from her bed.

Lucy felt herself go red in the face. "I—It didn't mean anything," she replied quickly. "I was just nervous for Harry and ended up grabbing his hand."

Hermione smirked. "That's not what it looked like to me," she said.

"Good night, 'Mione," Lucy said loudly.

Hermione chuckled and wished her good night, as well.

**~LJ:D~**

December arrived and brought the freezing cold with it. The Gryffindor fourth-years found themselves shivering in Hagrid's pumpkin patch during their next Care of Magical Creatures class, standing in front of the ten remaining skrewts.

"I'm not sure whether they hibernate or not," Hagrid explained to them. "Thought we'd jus' try an' see if they fancied a kip.… We'll settle 'em down in these boxes.…" He gestured to the pillow-lined boxes in front of them. "We'll jus' lead 'em in here an' put the lids on, an' we'll see wha' happens."

It didn't take very long for the class to realize that the skrewts _didn't_ want to hibernate. They were soon running riot around the pumpkin patch, destroying the boxes and beginning to attack one another.

Most of the class went running for Hagrid's hut and hid inside, watching from the windows. Lucy, Jeremy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were the only ones left to help Hagrid round up the skrewts and get them tied up. They had nine of them secured, and Harry and Ron were trying to get the last one.

"Don' frighten him, now!" Hagrid said, while Ron and Harry used their wands to shoot sparks at the skrewt as it advanced on them. "Jus' try an' slip the rope 'round his sting, so he won' hurt any o' the others!"

"Yeah, we wouldn't want that!" Ron yelled.

The skrewt backed Harry and Ron up into the wall of Hagrid's house, and the others couldn't get near enough to it to pull it back.

"Well, well, well…" a voice came from just outside the pumpkin patch. "This _does_ look like fun."

Lucy, Hermione, and Jeremy turned to see Rita Skeeter leaning against the fence, watching them fighting with the skrewts. Hagrid took the opportunity to jump onto the last skrewt, pinning it to the ground. He wrapped the rope around it and secured it.

"Who're you?" Hagrid asked Rita as he got off the ground.

"Rita Skeeter, _Daily Prophet_ reporter," Rita replied, smiling.

"Thought Dumbledore said you weren' allowed inside the school anymore," Hagrid said, pulling the skrewt over to the rest of them and tying it up.

"What are these fascinating creatures called?" Rita asked, ignoring Hagrid's last statement.

"Blast-Ended Skrewts," Hagrid replied.

"Really?" Rita said. "I've never heard of them before.… Where do they come from?"

Hagrid hesitated, and Lucy wondered where exactly Hagrid _had_ gotten them.

"They're very interesting, aren't they?" Hermione cut in hurriedly. "Aren't they, Harry?"

"What? Oh, yeah—ouch—interesting," Harry agreed after Hermione stepped on his foot.

"Ah, _you're_ here, Harry!" Rita exclaimed, turning to look at Harry. "So, you like Care of Magical Creatures, do you? One of your favorite lessons?"

"Yes," Harry stated firmly, and Hagrid smiled down at him.

"Lovely," Rita gushed. "Really lovely. Been teaching long?" She glanced over to Hagrid's hut, where the rest of the class was watching from the windows.

"This is on'y me second year," Hagrid answered.

"Lovely…" Rita said. "I don't suppose you'd like to give an interview, would you? Share some of your experience of magical creatures? The _Prophet_ does a zoological column every Wednesday, as I'm sure you know. We could feature these—er—Bang-Ended Scoots."

"Blast-Ended Skrewts," Hagrid corrected. "Er—yeah, why not?"

Lucy exchanged looks with Harry as Hagrid and Rita decided where to meet up to conduct an interview.

Then the bell rang, signaling the end of the class hour. The rest of the students streamed out of Hagrid's hut and started walking up to the castle.

"Well, good-bye, Harry!" Rita said. "Until Friday night, then, Hagrid?"

Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione began walking back up to the school, as well.

"She'll twist everything he says," Harry said when they were out of earshot.

"Just as long as he didn't import those skrewts illegally or anything," Hermione said.

They exchanged looks with each other, the concern in their eyes obvious.

"Hagrid's been in loads of trouble before, and Dumbledore's never sacked him," Ron pointed out. "Worst that can happen is Hagrid'll have to get rid of the skrewts. Sorry—did I say worst? I meant best."

Lucy, Harry, and Hermione laughed.

"This is assuming that this Skeeter woman is interested in the skrewts at all," Lucy said. "I mean, maybe she's using this interview to get more information on Dumbledore or something.…"

The four of them headed off to lunch. Then Lucy and Hermione went to Arithmancy, while Harry and Ron went to Divination.

**~LJ:D~**

When their Arithmancy class had finished, Hermione turned to Lucy and said thoughtfully, "You know, I really want to see if I can get into the kitchens."

"Don't you want to come to dinner first?" Lucy asked.

"No, I'll be fine," Hermione replied. "Go on without me. And—don't mention it to Harry or Ron yet, please?"

"I won't tell them," Lucy said, chuckling.

She said good-bye to Hermione at the entrance hall and went into the Great Hall alone. She sat down for dinner and was soon joined by Harry and Ron. "How was Divination?" she asked as the boys sat.

"Oh, you know," Harry said, "Professor Trelawney told me that I was going to die soon. The usual."

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked.

"She had something she needed to do," Lucy replied vaguely. "I'm not sure where she is now."

They finished having dinner and then decided to check the library for Hermione, though Lucy was pretty sure she wasn't there.

When they entered the library, they found Krum sitting at his regular table. Ron was particularly excited; he lingered in the bookshelves near Krum's table, whispering to Lucy and Harry about if he should ask for an autograph.

"You sound just like Krum's fan club," Lucy said, shaking her head.

"Fan club?" Ron repeated. Lucy pointed to a group of girls who were hiding behind a different bookshelf, and Ron's eyes widened when he saw them. "I—I don't need an autograph _that_ badly," Ron muttered, his ears going pink. He followed Lucy and Harry from the library.

**~LJ:D~**

"Wonder where she's got to?" Harry asked about Hermione as they walked back to Gryffindor Tower.

"Dunno," Lucy answered. They reached the Fat Lady's portrait, and Lucy said, "Balderdash."

The portrait began to open when they heard footsteps behind them. Lucy turned to see Hermione hurrying towards them.

"Harry!" she exclaimed, panting. "Harry, you've got to come—you've _got_ to come! The most amazing thing's happened—please—!" She took hold of Harry's wrist and began to drag him away.

"What's the matter?" Harry asked.

"I'll show you when we get there," Hermione said impatiently. "Oh, come on, quick—"

Harry looked at Lucy and Ron, who both shrugged. "Okay," Harry agreed, and he, Lucy, and Ron followed Hermione away from the portrait hole.

"Oh, don't mind me!" the Fat Lady yelled behind them. "Don't apologize for bothering me! I'll just hang here wide open until you get back, shall I?"

"Yeah, thanks!" Ron answered.

**~LJ:D~**

When the four of them reached the marble staircase that led to the entrance hall, Harry finally asked, "Hermione, where are we going?"

"You'll see! You'll see in a minute!" Hermione replied.

She led them through a door off the entrance hall and down a set of stone steps. They emerged into a bright stone corridor with paintings of food hanging on the walls.

"Oh, hang on," Harry said. "Wait a minute, Hermione—"

"What?" she asked.

"I know what this is about," Harry said knowingly. He pointed at the painting they had come to a stop in front of.

"Hermione!" Ron moaned. "You're trying to rope us into that _spew_ stuff again!"

"No, no; I'm not!" Hermione said. "And it's not _spew_, Ron—"

"Changed the name, have you?" Ron asked. "What are we now, then, the House-Elf Liberation Front? I'm not barging into that kitchen and trying to make them stop work. I'm not doing it—"

"I'm not asking you to," Hermione shot back. "I came down here just now to talk to them all, and I found—oh, come _on_, Harry! I want to show you!"

She reached out to the painting—which was a bowl of fruit—and tickled the pear. It giggled before becoming a door knob. Hermione pulled the painting forward, and it swung open on hinges like the Fat Lady's portrait. Then she pushed Harry forward, so he was the first one inside.

"Harry Potter, sir! _Harry Potter_!" a squeaking voice said as Lucy, Ron, and Hermione stepped into the kitchens behind Harry. An elf was hurtling across the room and latched itself around Harry's middle.

"D-Dobby?" Harry said.

"It _is_ Dobby, sir! It is!" the elf squeaked. "Dobby has been hoping and hoping to see Harry Potter, sir, and Harry Potter has come to see him, sir!"

Dobby let go of Harry and stepped back, giving Lucy a good look at him. He was wearing a tea cozy on his head, a tie around his neck, a pair of shorts on his legs, and a mismatched pair of socks on his feet.

"Dobby, what're you doing here?" Harry asked.

"Dobby has come to work at Hogwarts, sir!" Dobby replied. "Professor Dumbledore gave Dobby and Winky jobs, sir!"

"Winky?" Harry repeated. "She's here, too?"

"Yes, sir, yes!" Dobby answered. He took Harry's hand and pulled him through the kitchens.

Lucy looked around in interest, having never been down to the kitchens before. There were four long tables that resembled the House tables in the Great Hall. Lucy guessed that this is where the house-elves placed the food that was then transported to the tables upstairs.

As Lucy, Ron, and Hermione followed Dobby dragging Harry, the house-elves around them stopped to bow or curtsy to them. They were all wearing some sort of uniform, unlike Dobby.

"Winky, sir!" Dobby announced, stopping in front of a fireplace.

There was Winky, sitting on a stool in front of the fire and wearing a matching shirt, skirt, and hat, which were all very dirty.

"Hello, Winky," Harry greeted cautiously.

Winky immediately burst into tears.

"Oh, dear," Hermione said. "Winky, don't cry. Please don't—"

This only made Winky cry harder.

"Would Harry Potter like a cup of tea?" Dobby offered loudly above Winky's wailing.

"Er—yeah, okay," Harry said.

A group of house-elves came over immediately, carrying a tray with a teapot, teacups, a jug of milk, and a plate of cookies.

"Good service!" Ron complimented, picking up one of the cookies. Hermione shot him a glare, but he didn't notice.

"How long have you been here, Dobby?" Harry asked as Dobby served the four Gryffindors their tea.

"Only a week, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby reported. "Dobby came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir. You see, sir, it is very difficult for a house-elf who has been dismissed to get a new position, sir, very difficult indeed—" This made Winky cry even louder, but Dobby continued, "Dobby has traveled the country for two whole years, sir, trying to find work! But Dobby hasn't found work, sir, because Dobby wants paying now!"

"Good for you, Dobby!" Hermione said approvingly, although the rest of the house-elves seemed to turn away from him in embarrassment.

"Thank you, miss!" Dobby said. "But most wizards doesn't want a house-elf who wants paying, miss. _That's not the point of a house-elf_, they says, and they slammed the door in Dobby's face! Dobby likes work, but he wants to wear clothes and wants to be paid, Harry Potter.… Dobby likes being free!"

Many of the house-elves shuffled away from Dobby as he was talking.

"And then, Harry Potter," Dobby went on, "Dobby goes to visit Winky and finds out Winky has been freed too, sir!"

Winky threw herself from her stool, startling the humans in the room. She was lying on her face, hitting the ground with her fists and screaming. Hermione knelt next to the elf and attempted to comfort her, but Winky would not be consoled.

"Then Dobby had the idea, Harry Potter, sir!" Dobby continued. "_Why doesn't Dobby and Winky find work together?_ Dobby says. _Where is there enough work for two house-elves?_ says Winky. And Dobby thinks, and it comes to him, sir! _Hogwarts_! So, Dobby and Winky came to see Professor Dumbledore, sir, and Professor Dumbledore took us on! And Professor Dumbledore says he will pay Dobby, sir, if Dobby wants paying! So, Dobby is a free elf, sir, and Dobby gets a Galleon a week and one day off a month!"

"That's not very much!" Hermione gasped.

"Baby steps, Hermione," Lucy said.

"Professor Dumbledore offered Dobby ten Galleons a week and weekends off," Dobby informed Hermione, "but Dobby beat him down, miss.… Dobby likes freedom, miss, but he isn't wanting too much, miss. He likes work better."

"And how much is Professor Dumbledore paying _you_, Winky?" Hermione asked.

Winky finally stopped crying, and she looked up at Hermione angrily. "Winky is a disgraced elf, but Winky is not yet getting paid!" she answered. "Winky is not sunk so low as that! Winky is properly ashamed of being freed!"

"Ashamed?" Hermione repeated. "But—Winky, come on! It's Mr. Crouch who should be ashamed, not you! You didn't do anything wrong. He was really horrible to you—"

Winky flattened her ears against her head with her hands. "You is not insulting my master, miss!" she squealed. "You is not insulting Mr. Crouch! Mr. Crouch is a good wizard, miss! Mr. Crouch is right to sack bad Winky!"

"Winky is having trouble adjusting, Harry Potter," Dobby said. "Winky forgets she is not bound to Mr. Crouch anymore; she is allowed to speak her mind now, but she won't do it."

"Can't house-elves speak their minds about their masters, then?" Harry asked.

"Oh, no, sir, no," Dobby replied, shaking his head. "'Tis part of the house-elf's enslavement, sir. We keeps their secrets and our silence, sir. We upholds the family's honor, and we never speaks ill of them—though Professor Dumbledore told Dobby he does not insist upon this. Professor Dumbledore said we is free to—to—" Dobby looked nervous before he whispered, "He said we is free to call him a—a barmy old codger if we likes, sir!" He giggled but looked scared at the same time before going on, "But Dobby is not wanting to, Harry Potter. Dobby likes Professor Dumbledore very much, sir, and is proud to keep his secrets and our silence for him."

"But you can say what you like about the Malfoys now?" Harry pressed.

Dobby looked anxious. "Dobby—Dobby _could_," he said slowly. "Dobby could tell Harry Potter that his old masters were—were—_bad Dark wizards_!" He stood in silence for a moment before running to the nearest table and banging his head repeatedly against it. "_Bad Dobby_! _Bad Dobby_!" Harry grabbed the elf and yanked him away from the table, and Dobby said, "Thank you, Harry Potter. Thank you."

"You just need a bit of practice," Harry said.

"Practice!" Winky piped up. "You is ought to be ashamed of yourself, Dobby, talking that way about your masters!"

"They isn't my masters anymore, Winky!" Dobby replied. "Dobby doesn't care what they think anymore!"

"Oh, you is a bad elf, Dobby!" Winky said. "My poor Mr. Crouch… what is he doing without Winky? He is needing me! He is needing my help! I is looking after the Crouches all my life, and my mother is doing it before me, and my grandmother is doing it before her—oh what is they saying if they knew Winky was freed? Oh, the shame, the shame!" She began to cry again, covering her face with her skirt.

"Winky, I'm quite sure Mr. Crouch is getting along perfectly well without you," Hermione said. "We've seen him, you know—"

"You is seeing my master?" Winky asked, staring at Hermione. "You is seeing him here at Hogwarts?"

"Yes, he and Mr. Bagman are judges in the Triwizard Tournament," Hermione explained.

"Mr. Bagman comes, too?" Winky echoed, an angry look coming over her face. "Mr. Bagman is a bad wizard! A very bad wizard! My master isn't liking him! Oh, no! Not at all!

"Bagman—bad?" Harry said, looking confused.

"Oh, yes," Winky said. "My master is telling Winky some things! But Winky is not saying—Winky—Winky keeps her master's secrets—" She began to cry again. "Poor master! Poor master! No Winky to help him no more!"

"Winky!" Lucy shouted, having had enough of the crying elf. Winky looked up with wide, wet eyes, and Lucy said firmly, "Mr. Crouch is _not_ your master anymore! Professor Dumbledore is! Now snap out of it!" Winky blinked a few times and began to bawl again, and Lucy shook her head.

Dobby gestured for the Gryffindors to follow him away from Winky. "Dobby is going to buy a sweater next, Harry Potter!" he exclaimed, pointing to his chest.

"Tell you what, Dobby," Ron said, "I'll give you the one my mum knits me this Christmas. I always get one from her. You don't mind maroon, do you?" Dobby looked delighted, and Ron continued, "We might have to shrink it a bit to fit you, but it'll go well with your tea cozy."

After they had finished their tea, they were getting ready to leave when the house-elves crowded around them, offering them food to take along. Harry and Ron loaded up on sweets, and Lucy took a couple, as well, smiling guiltily at the disapproving look on Hermione's face.

"Thanks a lot!" Harry said. "See you, Dobby!"

"Harry Potter… can Dobby come and see you sometimes, sir?" Dobby asked, looking anxious.

"'Course you can," Harry replied, and Dobby looked absolutely beside himself with happiness.

**~LJ:D~**

The four Gryffindors left the kitchens and headed back for their common room.

"You know what?" Ron said. "All these years I've been really impressed with Fred and George nicking food from the kitchens—well, it's not exactly difficult, is it? They can't wait to give it away!"

"I think this is the best thing that could have happened to those elves, you know," Hermione said. "Dobby coming to work here, I mean. The other elves will see how happy he is being free, and slowly it'll dawn on them that they want that too!"

"I don't know. They looked pretty embarrassed of him when he was talking about his payment," Lucy pointed out.

"Let's hope they don't look too closely at Winky," Harry added.

"Oh, she'll cheer up," Hermione said. "Once the shock's worn off and she's gotten used to Hogwarts, she'll see how much better off she is without that Crouch man."

"She seems to love him," Ron said, his mouth full of a cream cake.

"Doesn't think much of Bagman, though, does she?" Harry said. "Wonder what Crouch says at home about him?"

"Probably that he's not a very good Head of Department," Lucy replied.

"Let's face it—he's got a point, hasn't he?" Hermione said.

"I'd still rather work for him than old Crouch," Ron commented. "At least Bagman's got a sense of humor."

"Don't let Percy hear you saying that," Lucy said, grinning.

"Yeah, well, Percy wouldn't want to work for anyone with a sense of humor, would he?" Ron replied, pulling a chocolate éclair from his pocket. "Percy wouldn't recognize a joke if it danced naked in front of him wearing Dobby's tea cozy."

**~LJ:D~**


	16. 16: The Boys' Hardest Task

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 16 – The Boys' Hardest Task**

"Potter! Weasley! _Will you pay attention_?"

The Gryffindor fourth-years were in Transfiguration class, and Professor McGonagall was growing impatient with Harry and Ron. They were sitting in the back of the room and had been having a sword fight with two of Fred's and George's fake wands.

"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to _act their age_," Professor McGonagall said, looking angrily at Harry and Ron, "I have something to say to you all.

"The Yule Ball is approaching—a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament, and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth-years and above—although you may invite a younger student if you wish—"

Lavender giggled aloud, and Parvati elbowed her, although she was also trying not to laugh.

Professor McGonagall ignored them. "Dress robes will be worn," she continued, "and the ball will start at eight o'clock on Christmas Day, finishing at midnight in the Great Hall. Now, then—the Yule Ball is, of course, a chance for us all to—er—let out hair down."

Lavender giggled again, and Lucy rolled her eyes at her classmate's back.

"However, that does _not_ mean that we will be relaxing the standards of behavior we expect from Hogwarts students," Professor McGonagall warned, staring around the class. "I will be most seriously displeased if a Gryffindor student embarrasses the school in any way."

The bell rang, signaling the end of the class, and everyone began to pack up their bags and stand up.

"Potter," Professor McGonagall called. "A word, if you please."

Lucy, Hermione, and Ron left the classroom and waited outside while Professor McGonagall talked to Harry.

"Do you think he's getting in trouble?" Hermione asked worriedly.

"No," Lucy replied. "Ron would be in there, too, if it was about their fake wand fight. It's probably something to do with the tournament."

A few minutes later, Harry rejoined them. "Professor McGonagall says I need to find a date for the ball," he reported gloomily. "The champions open the ball with the first dance."

"Ah, come on. That's not so bad," Lucy soothed him. "I'm sure there are plenty of girls who would be happy to go to the ball with you."

"I don't dance," Harry replied flatly.

"You can participate in _one_ dance," Lucy insisted.

"Right now I'd rather face the Horntail again," Harry muttered.

**~LJ:D~**

The whole school seemed to have been seized with Yule Ball fever. When Professor McGonagall came around asking for names of those staying for the holidays, nearly everyone in the fourth year and up put their names down to stay. Most of the girls in the school seemed very excited, and Lucy overheard many conversations about what people were planning to wear to the ball.

Lucy was walking down a corridor with Harry and Ron one day when Harry asked, "Why do they have to move in packs? And how're you supposed to get one on their own to ask them?"

"Lasso one?" Ron suggested. "Got any idea who you're going to try?"

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Girls don't move in packs on purpose," she said, annoyed. "They're walking with their friends. C'mon, Harry—how hard can it be to ask a girl out?"

Harry shrugged.

"Listen, you're not going to have any trouble," Ron added. "You're a champion. You've just beaten a Hungarian Horntail. I bet they'll be queuing up to go with you."

Ron was right. In the next few days, Harry was asked by at least three girls to go to the ball, all of whom he'd turned down.

"You can't be too picky, Harry," Lucy told him. "You _need_ a partner. Professor McGonagall told you so."

**~LJ:D~**

During their last Care of Magical Creatures class of the term, Lucy, Hermione, Harry, and Ron asked Hagrid how the interview with Rita Skeeter had gone. They were preparing food to try and give to the skrewts.

"She didn' seem very int'rested in magical creatures, ter tell yeh the truth," Hagrid told them. "She jus' wanted me ter talk abou' you, Harry," he added in a quiet voice. "Well, I told her we'd been friends since I went ter fetch yeh from the Dursleys. _Never had to tell him off in four years?_ she said. _Never played you up in lessons, has he?_ An' I told her no, an' she didn' seem happy at all. Yeh'd think she wanted me to say yeh were horrible, Harry."

"'Course she did," Harry said bitterly, throwing chunks of dragon liver into a bowl. "She can't keep writing about what a tragic little hero I am. It'll get boring."

"She wants a new angle, Hagrid," Ron said. "You were supposed to say Harry's a mad delinquent!"

"But he's not!" Hagrid said, looking at Ron and Harry in shock.

"She should've interviewed Snape," Harry said. "He'd give her the goods on me any day. _Potter has been crossing lines ever since he first arrived at this school._…"

"Said that, did he?" Hagrid asked. "Well, yeh might've bent a few rules, Harry, bu' yeh're all righ', really, aren' yeh?"

"Cheers, Hagrid," Harry replied, smiling.

"Are you coming to the ball on Christmas, Hagrid?" Lucy asked.

"Though' I might look in on it, yeah," Hagrid answered. "Should be a good do, I reckon. Yeh'll be openin' the dancin', won' yeh, Harry? Who're yeh takin'?"

"No one yet," Harry muttered, blushing slightly.

**~LJ:D~**

That night, Lucy was lounging in the Gryffindor common room with Hermione when George came up to her.

"Can I have a word?" George asked her. He seemed nervous, and it wasn't immediately obvious to Lucy why he would be anxious.

She nodded, got up, and followed him to a quieter area of the room. "What's up?" she asked.

"I was wondering if you would like to accompany me to the ball on Christmas?" George asked, his cheeks tinged a bit pink.

"Oh," Lucy said, a bit surprised. "Well—Well, yeah. Sure. I'll go to the ball with you."

A grin spread across George's face. "All right," he said. "Awesome. I'll, uh—I'll let you get back to your homework with Hermione."

Lucy smiled back at him and then rejoined Hermione.

"What was that all about?" Hermione asked.

"George just asked me to the ball," Lucy replied. Hermione raised an eyebrow at her, and Lucy asked, "What?"

"I'm just surprised, is all," Hermione replied, looking back down at her essay. "I thought that you'd want to go with Jeremy."

"Well, George asked me first," Lucy said.

Hermione looked up again and gave Lucy an exasperated look. "You know that George fancies you, don't you?"

Lucy shook her head. "No, he doesn't," she said. "We're friends. Really good friends—but just friends."

"George fancies you," Hermione insisted, "and now you're giving him hope that maybe you fancy him back."

"We're just friends," Lucy repeated firmly.

"What about Jeremy, then?" Hermione asked.

"If he ends up asking me, I'll just have to tell him no," Lucy replied. The idea of Jeremy asking her to the ball made the butterflies in her stomach flutter to life. Then she felt a bit guilty, since she'd just agreed to go with George, so she added, "I don't think he's going to ask me, though." Hermione shrugged, and Lucy asked, "Well, who are _you_ going with?"

Hermione went pink, but before she could answer, Ginny came over. "My brother just told me that he's going with you to the ball," Ginny said to Lucy.

"Yeah," Lucy confirmed. "Should be a fun time."

"I'm going, too," Ginny said, smiling. "Neville asked me. I figured, why not? I won't be able to go otherwise, since I'm not in the fourth year."

"That's nice of you," Hermione commented.

"Well, _you_ told him no," Ginny shot back, smirking slightly.

Hermione looked a bit uncomfortable, and Lucy looked around at her. "You didn't tell me Neville had asked you!" she said. "Why did you say no?"

Hermione sighed. "Please don't tell anyone," she began, "but someone asked me last week."

"_Who_?" Lucy and Ginny asked together.

"Viktor Krum," Hermione replied.

Lucy and Ginny stared at her, waiting to see if she was joking. Hermione didn't say anything more.

"Viktor _Krum_ asked you to the ball?" Ginny asked, her jaw dropping open.

"Is it that surprising?" Hermione said, sounding a bit hurt.

"Well, frankly, yes, Hermione," Lucy said. "I figured he would ask one of the Durmstrang girls. You know, someone he actually _knows_. Have you guys ever even had a conversation?"

"Yes," Hermione said. "He came over to sit with me in the library a few weeks back. When he asked me to the ball, he told me he'd been coming up to the library to try and get the courage to talk to me."

"That is possibly the sweetest thing I've ever heard," Ginny sighed.

"That's awesome, 'Mione," Lucy said. "We promise we won't tell anyone."

Hermione smiled.

**~LJ:D~**

The next day at lunch, Jeremy joined Lucy at the Gryffindor table. "So, this ball thing," he said. "It sounds like it might be fun."

"Yeah, maybe," Lucy replied. "George asked me to go yesterday."

"Oh," Jeremy said, a funny look crossing his face. "So, are you going with him?"

Lucy stared at him for a moment, slightly confused. "Yeah," she answered. "I figured since nobody had asked me yet, I might as well go with him. I mean, he's one of my good friends."

"Yeah, of course," Jeremy said, looking down at his plate of food.

"Have you asked anyone yet?" Lucy asked, feeling a bit anxious at what his answer was going to be.

"No," Jeremy said, and Lucy breathed an internal sigh of relief. "I'm not sure who I'd want to go with. I'm thinking about asking if Mary wants to go, since she's a third-year and wouldn't be able to otherwise."

"Well, hey, we can hang out during the ball, even though we're not going together, right?" Lucy said, and Jeremy gave her a brief smile.

**~LJ:D~**

As the last week of classes for the term came to an end, rumors about the ball were flying all over the school. Other than the gossip about who was going with whom, there were other rumors, such as that Dumbledore had bought eight hundred barrels of mulled mead, or that he had booked the Weird Sisters as the band.

Many of the teachers were frustrated by the lack of attention the students were giving them. Snape spoiled the Gryffindor fourth-years' eagerness when he announced that he would be testing their antidotes on the last day of the term.

"Evil, he is," Ron complained on Thursday night. "Springing a test on us on the last day. Ruining the last bit of term with a whole load of studying." He, Lucy, Hermione, and Harry were in the common room, studying—or, at least, Lucy and Hermione were.

"Mmm… you're not exactly straining yourself, though, are you?" Hermione said, glancing at him over the top of her Potions book.

Instead of studying, Ron was playing with a deck of Exploding Snap cards.

"It's Christmas, Hermione," Harry said, who was reading _Flying with the Cannons_.

"It's not Christmas yet," Lucy reminded the boys, scanning through her Potions notes.

"I'd have thought you'd be doing something constructive, Harry," Hermione said, "even if you don't want to learn your antidotes!"

"Like what?" Harry asked, not looking up.

"That egg!" Hermione whispered.

"Come on, Hermione," Harry groaned. "I've got 'til February the twenty-fourth."

"But it might take _weeks_ to work out!" Hermione insisted.

"Besides, February twenty-fourth is going to look a _lot_ closer when the next term starts," Lucy said.

"You're going to look a real idiot if everyone else knows what the next task is and you don't!" Hermione added.

"Leave him alone," Ron cut in. "He's earned a bit of a break." He finished his card castle, and a second later, the cards blew up in his face.

"Nice look, Ron," Fred said as he and George came over to them. "Go well with your dress robes, that will."

"Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?" George asked.

"No, he's off delivering a letter," Ron replied. "Why?"

"Because George wants to invite him to the ball," Fred replied sarcastically.

"Hey!" Lucy said, sitting up. "If you wanted to take Pig instead of me, you could have at least told me!"

George snorted before saying to Ron, "Because _we_ want to send a letter, you stupid great prat."

"Who d'you two keep writing to, eh?" Ron asked.

"Nose out, Ron, or I'll burn that for you, too," Fred said, pulling his wand out and waving it at his younger brother. "So—you lot got dates for the ball yet? Besides you, Lucy," he added before Lucy could say anything, and she stuck her tongue out at him.

"Nope," Ron replied.

"Well, you'd better hurry up, mate, or all the good ones will be gone," Fred said.

"Who're you going with, then?" Ron asked.

Lucy and George exchanged a glance.

"Angelina," Fred answered promptly.

"What?" Ron said. "You've already asked her?"

"Good point," Fred said. He looked across the room and yelled, "Oy! Angelina!"

"What?" Angelina called back, looking at him over her shoulder.

"Want to come to the ball with me?" Fred asked.

There was a brief pause.

"All right, then," Angelina replied. She turned back to Alicia Spinnet to continue their conversation.

"There you go," Fred said, looking at Harry and Ron. "Piece of cake." He turned to his twin and said, "We'd better use a school owl, then, George. Come on.…"

George waved at Lucy and then followed Fred out of the common room.

"We _should_ get a move on, you know—ask someone," Ron said, looking at Harry. "He's right. We don't want to end up with a pair of trolls."

Lucy and Hermione both let out noises of disapproval.

"A pair of… _what_, excuse me?" Hermione demanded.

"Well—you know," Ron said. "I'd rather go alone than with—with Eloise Midgen, say."

"Her acne's loads better lately—and she's really nice!" Hermione said.

"Her nose is off-center," Ron said.

Lucy scoffed. "Oh, I see," she said. "So basically, you're going to take the best-looking girl who'll go with you, even if she's completely horrible?"

"Er—yeah, that sounds about right," Ron replied.

Lucy rolled her eyes and looked at Hermione, who snapped her Potions book shut.

"I'm going to bed," Hermione growled at the boys. She got up and left for the girls' staircase.

"Right behind you, 'Mione," Lucy said. "Good night, and good luck with finding dates who aren't _trolls_," she said to the boys.

**~LJ:D~**

The next morning came: the last day of classes before term ended. Harry and Ron were still trying to pluck up the courage to ask a girl to the ball.

"I suppose there's always Moaning Myrtle," Harry said at breakfast.

"Harry—we've just got to grit our teeth and do it," Ron said. "When we get back to the common room tonight, we'll both have partners—agreed?"

"Er—okay," Harry said.

It was surprisingly enjoyable to Lucy watching the boys avoid girls in the hallways instead of finding a partner. By the end of Potions class—which happened to be their last class of the day—neither of them had mustered up the courage to ask anybody.

When the bell rang at the end of Potions, Lucy picked up her bag and joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione outside the classroom.

"I'll meet you at dinner," Harry said to the other three, and he dashed off.

"Wonder where he's off to in such a hurry," Lucy said.

"Maybe he's finally thought of someone to ask," Hermione said.

Ron stayed silent, and they all walked upstairs and into the entrance hall. Lucy and Hermione were walking in front, and when the girls reached some empty seats at the Gryffindor table, they saw that Ron was no longer with them.

"I wonder where Ron went," Hermione said, frowning.

"Maybe _he_ found someone to ask," Lucy replied.

The girls ate their dinner, a little concerned when neither of the boys showed up.

"Let's go back to the common room," Lucy suggested when they were finished. "Maybe they went back there."

So, the girls got up and went back to Gryffindor Tower. When they climbed through the portrait hole, they saw Ron and Ginny sitting in a corner with Harry standing in front of them. Ron and Harry were laughing about something, but Ginny didn't seem amused.

"Why weren't you two at dinner?" Hermione asked the boys when she and Lucy joined them.

"Because—oh, shut up laughing, you two—because they've both just been turned down by girls they asked to the ball!" Ginny said.

That stopped Ron's and Harry's laughs. "Thanks a bunch, Ginny," Ron muttered.

"All the good-looking ones taken, Ron?" Lucy teased.

"Eloise Midgen starting to look quite pretty now, is she?" Hermione chimed. "Well, I'm sure you'll find someone _somewhere_ who'll have you."

Ron was staring at her. "Hermione, Neville's right," he said. "You _are_ a girl—"

"Oh, well spotted," Hermione said.

"Well—you can come with one of us!" Ron said.

"No, I can't," Hermione replied.

"Oh, come on," Ron said. "We need partners. We're going to look really stupid if we haven't got any. Everyone else has—"

"I can't come with you," Hermione insisted, "because I'm already going with someone."

"No, you're not!" Ron scoffed. "You just said that to get rid of Neville!"

"Oh, _did_ I?" Hermione asked, looking at Ron angrily. "Just because it's taken _you_ three years to notice, Ron, doesn't mean no one _else_ has spotted I'm a girl!"

"Okay, okay; we know you're a girl," Ron said, grinning. "That do? Will you come now?"

"I've already told you!" Hermione shouted. "I'm going with someone else!" She turned and left for the girls' staircase.

"She's lying," Ron said.

"She's not," Lucy and Ginny both said.

"Who is it, then?" Ron asked.

"We're not telling you," Ginny replied. "It's her business."

"Right," Ron said, "this is getting stupid. Ginny, _you_ can go with Harry, and I'll just—"

"I can't," Ginny said. Lucy glanced at her and saw that she looked a little sad. "I'm going with—with Neville," Ginny explained. "He asked me when Hermione said no, and I thought—well—I'm not going to be able to go otherwise. I'm not in fourth year. I think I'll go and have dinner."

She stood up and left the common room. Lucy watched her go, feeling bad that she was upset.

"What's got into them?" Ron asked impatiently.

Lucy rolled her eyes. "Nothing," she said. "Their dates just didn't wait until the _last_ _day_ _of_ _term_ to ask them!"

"Wait here," Harry said suddenly.

Lucy watched him walked over to Parvati and Lavender, who were standing near the portrait hole. She couldn't hear the conversation, but after a few minutes, Harry came back.

"I've just asked Parvati to the ball, and she said yes," he reported. "She said that she'd ask her sister Padma if she would go with you, Ron."

"Thanks, mate," Ron said.

Lucy sighed. "You should have just asked someone earlier," she muttered.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: I'm sure some people are wondering why Lucy would say yes to George when she clearly would rather go with Jeremy. The answer is really simple: she doesn't think Jeremy would ask her. And I'm sure some other people are annoyed with how naive she's being about George's fairly obvious feelings, but that's just it; she is a bit naive when it comes to this kind of thing.**_


	17. 17: The Ball

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 17 – The Ball**

The holidays had finally begun, and nobody could concentrate on their homework. The only thing on anyone's minds was the Yule Ball.

Now that winter was in full swing, there was a constant blanket of snow over the grounds. The house-elves in the kitchens were preparing wonderfully warm dishes for the occupants of the castle to eat to combat the cold.

Fleur Delacour was the only one overheard complaining about it. "It is too 'eavy, all zis 'Ogwarts food," she said one day when Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione were leaving the Great Hall behind her. "I will not fit into my dress robes!"

Hermione sneered, "Oooh, _there's_ a tragedy. She really thinks a lot of herself, that one, doesn't she?"

Lucy smirked.

"Hermione—who are you going to the ball with?" Ron asked. He had been randomly asking her since he'd found out that she had a date, trying to catch her off guard.

"I'm not telling you," Hermione replied. "You'll just make fun of me."

"You're _joking_, Weasley!" Malfoy was walking out of the Great Hall behind them. "You're not telling me someone's asked _that_ to the ball? Not the long-molared Mudblood?"

Harry and Ron pulled their wands out, but Hermione pretended to wave at someone behind Malfoy. "Hello, Professor Moody!" she said loudly.

Malfoy went pale and jumped, looking around for Moody, but the professor was still in the Great Hall at the staff table.

"Twitchy little ferret, aren't you, Malfoy?" Hermione asked, grinning.

Lucy, Harry, and Ron burst out laughing, and the four of them went up the marble staircase.

"Hermione," Ron said suddenly, "your teeth—"

"What about them?" Hermione asked.

"Well, they're different," Ron said. "I've just noticed—"

"Of course they are," Hermione said. "Did you expect me to keep those fangs Malfoy gave me?"

"No—I mean, they're different to how they were before he put that hex on you…" Ron said, frowning. "They're all—straight and—and normal-sized."

Hermione smiled, and the boys both goggled at her.

"I can't believe you two haven't noticed this whole time!" Lucy said, shaking her head.

"When I went up to Madam Pomfrey to get them shrunk, she held up a mirror and told me to stop her when they were back to how they normally were," Hermione explained. "I just… let her carry on a bit. Mum and Dad won't be too pleased. I've been trying to persuade them to let me shrink them for ages, but they wanted me to carry on with my braces. You know, they're dentists. They just don't think teeth and magic should—look! Pigwidgeon's back!"

Lucy, Harry, and Ron looked up to see Pig sitting on the banister at the top of the stairs, a letter tied to his leg. A group of third-year girls were cooing over him.

"Stupid little feathery git!" Ron muttered. He ran up the rest of the stairs and grabbed the owl. "You bring letters to the addressee! You don't hang around showing off!" The girls looked at Ron uncertainly, and he snapped, "Clear off!" Then he pulled the letter from Pig's leg and handed it over to Harry. "Here—take it, Harry."

Harry put the letter in his pocket, and they went up to their common room to read it.

When they reached the tower, they found a quiet spot in a window away from everyone else. Harry shook the letter out and read it aloud to the other three.

_Dear Harry,_

_Congratulations on getting past the Horntail. Whoever put your name in that goblet shouldn't be feeling too happy right now! I was going to suggest a Conjunctivitus Curse, as a dragon's eyes are its weakest point —_

"That's what Krum did!" Hermione interrupted.

—_but your way was better. I'm impressed._

_Don't get complacent, though, Harry. You've only done one task; whoever put you in for the tournament's got plenty more opportunity if they're trying to hurt you. Keep your eyes open—particularly when the person we discussed is around—and concentrate on keeping yourself out of trouble._

_Keep in touch. I still want to hear about anything unusual._

_Sirius_

"He sounds exactly like Moody," Harry said, putting the letter back in his pocket. "_Constant vigilance!_ You'd think I walk around with my eyes shut and banging off the walls—"

"He's right, Harry," Hermione said. "You _have _still got two tasks to do. You really ought to have a look at that egg, you know, and start working out what it means—"

"Hermione, he's got ages!" Ron argued. "Want a game of chess, Harry?"

"Yeah, okay," Harry agreed. Hermione looked at him in disapproval, and he added, "Come on; how'm I supposed to concentrate with all this noise going on? I won't even be able to hear the egg over this lot."

"I doubt that," Lucy said, but Harry and Ron were already getting ready to start their chess game.

Lucy and Hermione watched as Ron, unsurprisingly, won.

**~LJ:D~**

Christmas morning arrived, and Lucy and Hermione opened their presents together in their dormitory. Once their presents had been opened, they both pulled on their new sweaters that they had received from Mrs. Weasley—a purple one for Lucy, and a pale blue one for Hermione—before heading down to the common room. There they met up with Ron and Harry and went down to breakfast.

The rest of the morning was spent in Gryffindor Tower, where everyone was comparing and enjoying their presents. When lunchtime came, everyone trooped back down to the Great Hall. Usually lunchtime on Christmas day was when Christmas dinner was served, but since the Yule Ball would include a dinner, lunch was lighter than normal. There were still Christmas crackers, and the food was as delicious as it always was.

In the afternoon, Lucy, Hermione, Harry, Ron, Fred, and George all went outside to enjoy the snow. The boys started a snowball fight, which Lucy and Hermione decided to watch rather than participate in.

At about five o'clock, Hermione turned to Lucy. "I need to start getting ready for the ball," she said.

"I'm right there with you, sister," Lucy said, and they waved at the boys to get their attention. "We're going inside to get ready for the ball!" Lucy shouted at them.

"Already?" George asked.

"What, you need three hours?" Ron added.

Lucy and Hermione headed for the castle doors.

"Who're you going with?" Ron yelled to Hermione, who waved back at him but didn't answer.

"Is there a reason why you aren't telling Ron who you're going with?" Lucy asked as they set off for Gryffindor Tower.

"I don't want him making fun of me," Hermione answered. "If I told him that I'm going with Viktor, he'd either tease me about it or tell me I'm lying."

"I suppose," Lucy said. "So, what are you planning on doing with your hair?"

"I'll show you when we get back to the dormitory," Hermione replied.

**~LJ:D~**

Two and a half hours later, Lucy and Hermione stood in front of the mirrors in their dormitory bathroom.

"Not that we don't look good normally," Lucy started, "but tonight we look _very_ good."

Hermione giggled.

Lucy had helped Hermione to tame her normally bushy hair, using nearly a whole bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion to make it shiny and smooth. Then Hermione had tied it up at the back of her head in a bun. Lucy had opted for a side ponytail, tying her hair under her right ear. Both girls were in their dress robes and had managed to put on shoes that had a slight heel.

"Krum is not going to believe his eyes," Lucy added, and Hermione blushed.

They spent another few minutes making sure they had everything in order. Lucy finished by putting on her mother's necklace and fastening the charm bracelet from Jeremy around her wrist.

"Should we go downstairs and meet up with our dates?" Hermione asked, and Lucy could hear the nerves in her voice.

"Sure," Lucy agreed. "Do you want me to go down to the entrance hall with you? I don't know what George had planned.…"

"If you want to," Hermione said.

"Well, we have to go down there anyway," Lucy said, making up her mind. "George can deal with it."

The girls left the dormitory and entered the common room, where people were milling about in their dress robes. Lucy went up to George, doing a spin so her dress flared out from her feet.

"Wow, Lu," he said.

Lucy curtsied, giggling. "I thought it was a pretty nice dress," she said. "I'm glad you approve."

Then George looked at Hermione and let out a low whistle. "There is no way this is the same Hermione Granger I know," he said, and Hermione blushed. "You both look great."

"Do you mind if we go down to the entrance hall now?" Lucy asked George. "Hermione has to meet her date."

"Ah, the _mysterious_ date," George said. "So, who is it?"

"You'll see when we get to the ball," Hermione replied loftily.

Lucy looped her arm around George's, and the three of them set off for the entrance hall. When they reached the hall, there was a good-sized crowd waiting to enter the Great Hall.

Hermione let out a breath of air and nudged Lucy. "I'm so nervous," she mumbled.

"You'll be brilliant, 'Mione," Lucy replied, smiling reassuringly. "Is your date here…?" She looked around and finally found Krum waiting near Professor McGonagall, Cedric, and the Ravenclaw Seeker Cho Chang.

"Wish me luck," Hermione said.

"Good luck!" Lucy said before giving her friend a little push towards Krum.

"So, who _is_ she going with?" George asked, craning his head over the crowd to watch where Hermione went.

When Hermione reached Krum, he bowed to her, smiling.

"_Viktor Krum_?" George gasped. "He can _smile_?"

Lucy laughed and elbowed George in the side.

"Lucy!" Sally-Anne had just pushed through the crowd, wearing a pale green dress and pulling a boy with her.

"Hi, Sally-Anne," Lucy said. "Your dress looks gorgeous."

"Thanks," Sally-Anne replied, smiling. "You look great, too! Oh, by the way, this is Jonah Rushden. Jonah, this is Lucy Jones and George Weasley."

"Nice to meet you," Lucy said to Jonah, who nodded at her and George.

"Anyway, I just wanted to say hi," Sally-Anne said. "I'll see you later!"

"Have fun!" Lucy said, and Sally-Anne and Jonah moved away from them through the crowd.

Lucy and George waited amongst the rest of the students. Fred and Angelina joined them shortly, followed by Alicia Spinnet and Lee Jordan.

"Lucy, your dress is so pretty!" Angelina gushed, grinning widely. She was wearing a strapless, navy blue dress with a low cut back and a sparkling skirt, while Alicia was wearing a bright pink dress that fell to her knees.

"Thanks," Lucy said. "I love yours, too! And yours, Alicia."

Alicia smiled.

They were distracted when they saw that Professor McGonagall was beginning to herd the students into the Great Hall.

"Champions over here, please!" Professor McGonagall yelled over the crowd.

"Lucy!" a voice called.

Lucy turned to see Ron hurrying over to them, dragging his date Padma Patil with him. "There you are," she said. "Would you two like to sit with us for dinner?" She glanced at Padma, who wasn't looking very pleased.

"Where's Hermione?" Ron demanded.

"I'm not telling you," Lucy sighed.

"She's not even here, is she?" Ron pressed.

"She _is_ here," Lucy replied impatiently. "She's with her date." She heard her name being called again and turned to see Ginny and Neville joining them. "Hi, Neville," Lucy said, smiling. "You look very nice."

Neville smiled back, looking nervous but excited.

They were slowly shuffling with the rest of the crowd towards the Great Hall. When they got near enough to the champions, Lucy heard Ron swear under his breath; he had seen Hermione with Krum. Lucy waved at Harry and Hermione before they went through the doors and into the Great Hall.

The room had been transformed for the ball. The four house tables and the staff table had been taken away. There was a large round table at the front of the room where Professor Dumbledore, Madam Maxime, Karkaroff, Bagman, and—instead of Crouch—Percy Weasley were sitting. There were empty chairs that were presumably for the champions and their dates. There was another table nearby where the remaining staff were sitting. The rest of the room was occupied by smaller tables with about a dozen chairs surrounding each of them.

Lucy, George, Fred, Angelina, Lee, Alicia, Ron, Padma, Neville, and Ginny all took seats at a table. Lucy looked around the filling hall to see if Jeremy was around somewhere, but she couldn't find him in the crowd.

Professor Dumbledore stood up after all the students had taken their seats. "Good evening," he greeted, beaming around. "Welcome to the Yule Ball. I ask you to please stand and greet our Triwizard Champions!"

Everyone stood up as the doors to the Great Hall were opened. Krum entered first, escorting Hermione. Fleur was next with her date, a Ravenclaw named Roger Davies. Cedric and Cho followed them in, and Harry and Parvati brought up the rear. Everyone clapped for the champions as they walked up to the table at the front of the room and took their seats. The rest of the students sat down.

Lucy looked at the table in front of her. There was an empty plate at each spot with silverware on either side. The goblets on the tables were already full of pumpkin juice. There was a small menu sitting in front of each plate. Many of the students were looking around in confusion, since they were used to food appearing from the kitchens below.

"Ah!" Fred said. He had been looking up at the top table, and now he turned back to the others. "We pick what we want off the menus and tell our plates. Then our meal appears."

"How d'you know that?" Alicia asked.

"I just watched Dumbledore do it," Fred replied. He examined his menu before looking at his plate and announcing, "Chicken breast!"

On his plate appeared his meal, and the others around the table quickly looked through their menus.

Soon, the rest of the students had gotten the idea, and everyone was thoroughly enjoying their dinner. Lucy was having a very good time, although a small part of her wished that Hermione and Harry were there with them, too.

**~LJ:D~**

Once the food had been consumed, the leftovers vanished from the plates, and Dumbledore stood up again. "I ask you all to please stand," he announced.

Everyone rose to their feet, except those at the top table. Dumbledore waved his wand, and the tables moved against the wall, leaving an empty space for a dance floor. With another wave of his wand, a stage rose up against one of the walls, upon which were several instruments.

"If everyone could please stand along the edge of the dance floor," Dumbledore requested, "the champions will open the ball with a dance."

There was a lot of shuffling as the crowd moved away from the dance floor. The champions and their dates stood from the top table and moved out onto the dance floor. The band—Lucy assumed this was the Weird Sisters—had stepped up onto the stage and began to play a slow song. The champions and their partners started to dance.

Soon after, other people joined the champions, as well.

"Would you care to dance?" George asked Lucy, holding his hand out.

Lucy smiled and took it. "Can you even dance, Georgie boy?" she teased.

He smirked and pulled her onto the dance floor. They swayed back and forth.

"You surprise me," Lucy admitted, smiling. "I didn't know you could dance."

The song soon ended, and everyone applauded for the first song. Then the Weird Sisters began a new song, which was much faster and happier than the first one had been. George winked and then spun Lucy around, who squealed with glee.

When that song had finished, Hermione came over. "Do you mind if I steal you away for a bit, Lucy?" she asked, looking happy and a bit out of breath.

Lucy looked at George, and he smirked, saying, "If you must."

Lucy rolled her eyes and put her arm through Hermione's. They walked off the dance floor and found Harry and Ron sitting at a table. Padma was next to Ron, looking grumpy, and Parvati was nowhere to be seen.

"Hi," Harry said when the girls had sat down next to them.

Ron didn't say anything.

"It's hot, isn't it?" Hermione asked, waving her hand in front of her face. "Viktor's just gone to get some drinks."

"_Viktor_?" Ron sneered. "Hasn't he asked you to call him _Vicky_ yet?"

"Ron!" Lucy exclaimed, frowning at him.

"What's up with you?" Hermione asked, clearly taken aback.

"If you don't know," Ron taunted, "I'm not going to tell you."

Hermione looked at Harry, who shrugged. Then she started, "Ron, what—?"

"He's from fucking Durmstrang!" Ron hissed. "He's competing against Harry! Against Hogwarts! You're—you're—_fraternizing with the enemy_, that's what you're doing!"

"Don't be ridiculous," Lucy snorted.

"The _enemy_?" Hermione said incredulously. "Honestly—who was the one who was all excited when they saw him arrive? Who was the one who wanted his autograph? Who's got a model of him up in their dormitory?"

"I s'ppose he asked you to come with him while you were both in the library?" Ron asked, choosing to ignore what Hermione had said.

"Yes, he did," Hermione answered. "So what?"

"What happened—trying to get him to join _spew_, were you?" Ron snapped.

"No, I wasn't!" Hermione replied hotly. "If you _really_ want to know, he—he said he'd been coming up to the library every day to try and talk to me, but he hadn't been able to pluck up the courage!" Her face grew red.

"Yeah, well—that's _his_ story," Ron said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked.

"Obvious, isn't it?" Ron said. "He's Karkaroff's student, isn't he? He knows who you hang around with.… He's just trying to get closer to Harry—get inside information on him—or get near enough to jinx him—"

"For your information," Hermione began, narrowing her eyes at Ron, "he hasn't asked me _one single thing_ about Harry. Not one—!"

"Then he's hoping you'll help him find out what his egg means!" Ron suggested. "I suppose you've been putting your heads together during those cozy little library sessions—"

"I'd _never_ help him work out that egg!" Hermione stated. "_Never!_ How could you say something like that? I want Harry to win the tournament. Harry knows that, don't you, Harry?"

"You've got a funny way of showing it," Ron muttered.

"This whole tournament's supposed to be about getting to know foreign wizards and making friends with them," Lucy said, noticing Hermione's lower lip quivering in anger.

"No, it isn't!" Ron yelled. "It's about winning!"

"Ron," Harry spoke up, "I haven't got a problem with Hermione coming with Krum—"

"Why don't you go and find _Vicky?_" Ron said savagely to Hermione. "He'll be wondering where you are."

"_Don't call him Vicky_!" Hermione snarled. She stood up and stalked off.

Lucy glared at Ron and asked, "What the hell is wrong with you?" Ron didn't say anything, and Lucy added, "You know, judging by the way you're acting, I'd say that you fancy Hermione."

"I—but—_what_?" Ron sputtered. "I do _not_ fancy Hermione!"

"Then stop acting like a _jealous reject_," Lucy shot back. She stood up, said, "See you later," to the boys, and went off to rejoin George.

"There you are," George said, grinning. "I got you a butterbeer." He handed her a bottle, which Lucy took gratefully.

"Thank you," she said, but she knew her voice still sounded annoyed.

"What happened?" George asked. "What's the matter?"

"Your little brother," Lucy replied. "He's lucky I consider him a friend sometimes. He deserves a smack. He made Hermione upset, just because she came to the ball with Krum."

"George!" Fred was hurrying through the crowd towards them. "Now's the perfect time to talk to him," he said in a low voice.

"Him?" Lucy repeated, looking between the twins.

"Don't worry about it," George said. "It's just some business I need to take care of with Fred."

"Well, if you're free, I wouldn't mind a dance."

Lucy turned to see Jeremy, dressed in simple but elegant black dress robes. He grinned at her, and she felt the butterflies in her gut. She couldn't help but think that he looked so _handsome_.

"Yeah, sure," Lucy accepted, smiling back at him. She turned back to George and said, "I'll see you later then. Go get your business taken care of."

George's face had fallen a bit, but he nodded. "I'll see you later," he said. He turned and followed Fred through the crowd and out of sight.

"Good evening," Jeremy said, holding his hand out to Lucy.

She took it, her heart beating a bit faster than usual. "Hello," she said. "You look very nice tonight."

"As do you," Jeremy replied, guiding Lucy to the dance floor.

"So, did you end up bringing Mary?" Lucy asked.

"Yeah," Jeremy said. "She's around here somewhere."

The Weird Sisters were playing a bit of a slower song, and Jeremy held Lucy's waist in both of his hands, leaving Lucy to put her hands on his shoulders. She felt as light as a feather as he swayed back and forth with her.

"You want to know a secret?" Jeremy asked suddenly. Lucy nodded, and Jeremy confessed, "I was going to ask you to the ball, but George beat me to it."

"I'm sorry," Lucy said, shrugging, but her heart soared.

"It's not your fault," Jeremy brushed off. "It's mine. I wanted to ask you earlier, but I kept getting nervous."

"Nervous?" Lucy repeated, puzzled. "Why were you so nervous?"

"I was afraid you'd say no, of course," Jeremy said. "My gentle male ego wouldn't have been able to handle it." Lucy giggled, and Jeremy added in a more serious tone, "I didn't want to make things awkward between us in case you weren't interested in going with me."

"I'm sorry you felt that way," Lucy said.

The song ended, but Jeremy didn't let go of her. "Do you want to go for a walk?" he asked.

"Sure," Lucy agreed, feeling both excited and nervous.

She followed Jeremy from the Great Hall, and they went out the front doors. Jeremy offered Lucy his arm, and she took it, trying to calm her heart.

The lawn had been transformed into a rose garden, complete with statues and fountains. Lucy marveled over it for a moment; it was hard to believe that it had all been covered with snow earlier that afternoon.

As they walked along the path, they saw Snape and Karkaroff in the distance. Jeremy froze.

"What's wrong?" Lucy asked. Jeremy shook his head and pulled Lucy off the main path in the garden, and she said, "You're worrying me. Are you all right?"

"My father knows Karkaroff," Jeremy replied, frowning.

"Is that a bad thing?" Lucy asked.

Jeremy rubbed his face with both of his hands. "It's not a good thing," he said.

"I've heard rumors," Lucy said slowly. "Rumors about Karkaroff. That he used to be a Death Eater, but he turned a bunch of other Death Eaters in to the Ministry, so he could be let free."

Jeremy nodded, not looking at her. "A lot of Death Eaters managed to stay out of trouble," he said. "Some back-stabbed others, giving up names. Some pretended that they had been cursed and manipulated against their will."

"How do you know all that?" Lucy asked, feeling strangely anxious.

"I heard a lot of stories growing up," Jeremy replied, smirking to himself. Then he looked at Lucy. "Remember how I always told you that my parents were blood purists?"

"Yeah," Lucy said.

"Well, my father was a bit more than that," Jeremy said. He took a deep breath and continued, "My father was a Death Eater. He stayed out of trouble by convincing the Ministry that he'd been bewitched and forced to act against his will. He lied; he was never bewitched. He was at the World Cup this summer—with Malfoy's dad and the others—levitating those Muggles in the air."

Lucy's mouth had popped open. Jeremy smiled grimly at her.

"So, _that's_ why you were so freaked out before the Dark Mark went into the sky," Lucy murmured.

"I didn't want to tell you," Jeremy continued. "I didn't want to have to tell you _any_ of it. I'm sure you think I'm going to be just like him. I'm already in Slytherin."

Lucy, feeling brave, reached out with her right hand and touched his cheek with her fingertips. "You're not your father," she whispered. "Unless you've been a very good actor up to this point, you don't seem the type to be a Death Eater."

"How do you know?" Jeremy asked quietly.

"I've seen how kind you are to other people," Lucy said. "You don't flaunt the fact that you're a pureblood. Besides, you've always been nice to Hermione, and she's a Muggleborn. Death Eater's aren't nice to Muggleborns."

Jeremy began to smile, a genuine one. "Lucy Jones," he said, tucking some of the hair that had fallen out of her ponytail behind her ear.

Lucy then realized how close their faces were, and her breathing hitched. She licked her lips quickly as Jeremy leaned into her. Then he pressed his mouth against hers; her first kiss. She kissed him back tentatively, not entirely sure what she was doing.

Their kiss was short-lived, however, when they heard a throat being cleared behind them. Lucy and Jeremy separated, looking around to see George standing there. He had a very blank look on his face. Then he turned and went back up to the castle.

"I should go see if he's okay," Lucy said, frowning and watching George walk away. "I'm sorry. I'll see you later?"

Jeremy touched her hand, and she looked back at him. "Was that okay, what just happened? Between us?" he asked, looking worried.

Lucy felt her face heat up, and she leaned forward and lightly kissed his cheek. "Yes," she replied, "but I need to make sure he's okay. He looked a bit funny."

Jeremy nodded and said, "See you later."

Lucy turned and hurried after George. When she got back to the castle, she found him standing with Fred and Angelina in the entrance hall.

"Hey," Lucy said, joining them.

"I'll be in the Great Hall," Angelina said, excusing herself. She sent an apologetic look to Lucy as she walked back to the ball.

George turned to look at Lucy.

"Are you okay?" she asked, looking back at him with concern.

"Well, I just found my date for the ball snogging another bloke," George replied, sounding bitter, "so the night hasn't been that great for me."

In that moment, Lucy knew that Hermione, Charlie, and everyone else who'd told her so had been right; George _had_ fancied her, and her going to the ball with him had given him hope that she liked him back. "George, I'm sorry," she said quietly. "I thought we were going to the ball just as friends; you're practically like a brother to me."

George let out a humorless laugh. "That's exactly what I want to hear from the girl I fancy," he said hollowly.

"Look, I'm sorry if I gave you the wrong idea," Lucy said. "I never meant to lead you on like that." There was a pause, and she added, "Can we still be friends? Or have I ruined that?"

"I don't have much of a choice, do I?" George asked, smirking. "You're best mates with my little brother, and you stay with us during the summer.… I just wish you would have told me that you didn't fancy me."

"Well, maybe _you_ should have told _me_ that you fancy me!" Lucy replied.

"_Fancied_ you," George corrected. "Seeing you snogging someone else kind of ruined it for me. Especially a Slytherin," he added, wrinkling his nose. Then he gave Lucy a small smile.

"I'm sorry," Lucy repeated.

"It may take me a while to get over this," George said seriously, "but I'm going to get over it."

"I haven't ruined your night, have I?" Lucy asked guiltily.

"I'll be fine," George said. "I'll see you later, okay?"

Lucy nodded and watched George and Fred return to the Great Hall.

"So." Lucy turned to see Jeremy coming towards her. "Is everything okay?" he asked.

"Yeah, I think so," Lucy replied. "He's a bit disappointed, but he says he'll get over it. I wish I had listened to Hermione when she kept telling me that he fancied me." There was a beat of silence, and she asked, "Do you want to go back into the ball?"

"Yes, but—I feel like I need to tell you this before anything else happens," Jeremy said. He took one of her hands in his. "I fancy you, Lucy. I like you more than I've liked anyone else. I'm just—I'm not sure what to do about it."

"I fancy you, too," Lucy blurted, blushing furiously.

Jeremy smiled. "Look, I know we're young and still in school," he said, "but—erm—would you like to be my girlfriend?"

Lucy heart leapt happily, and she answered simply, "Yes."

Jeremy reached out and cupped her face in his palm for a moment before leaning in and kissing her again. "So," he said when he pulled away, "would you like to go back inside and dance?"

Lucy nodded, and Jeremy led her back into the Great Hall.

**~LJ:D~**

After spending a few more songs on the dance floor, they decided to take a break. Lucy held Jeremy's hand as they moved through the crowd, and the first people they ran into who they knew were Jeremy's friends Daphne Greengrass and Jake Fletcher, who was a fourth-year Ravenclaw.

"There you are, Whitlock!" Daphne said. "We've been wondering where you ran off to." Then she noticed that Lucy and Jeremy were holding hands. She turned to Jake, holding her palm up, and said, "Pay up, Fletcher!"

"Pay up?" Lucy echoed, confused.

"I bet Jake five Galleons that you and Jeremy would end up together," Daphne replied.

Lucy blushed, and Jeremy asked flatly, "You bet on us?"

"Of course I did," Daphne replied. "It was easy money, especially when you're betting a sucker like Jake."

"Oh, shut up and come dance with me, Daphne," Jake said. He grabbed Daphne's hand and pulled her back towards the dance floor; Daphne let out a giggle and waved at Lucy and Jeremy.

"What was that all about?" Lucy asked.

"Daphne knew that I fancied you," Jeremy replied. "She's been trying to get me to ask you out pretty much all year. You should have seen how mad she got when I told her that someone else had already asked you to the ball."

Lucy laughed. "She's always been rooting for us," she said. "Remember back in second year, after the fiasco with the Polyjuice Potion? She kept telling me that she was trying to get you to come around."

"Yeah," Jeremy said. "She can be a little bit annoying, let me tell you."

The two of them decided to go and get some drinks. As they walked up to the refreshment table, they found Hermione standing nearby.

"Hi, Lucy!" Hermione said when Lucy and Jeremy approached her. "Hi, Jeremy," she added with a sly grin. Then, glancing down, she saw their joined hands, and her entire face lit up. "Wait!" she said. "Please tell me that this means what I think it means!"

"Jeremy's my boyfriend now," Lucy replied.

Hermione let out a very un-Hermione-like squeal. "I am so happy for you!" she said, hugging Lucy tightly. "I _knew_ you fancied him! I kept telling you, but you didn't want to listen to me!"

Jeremy chuckled. "Hello, Hermione," he said. "You look lovely tonight."

"Thanks," Hermione said. "Wait—what happened with George?" she asked Lucy.

"It's a bit of a long story," Lucy replied. "The short version is that you were right. George fancied me, and he thought that I might fancy him, too. We've figured it out now, and everything's going to be fine."

"If you say so," Hermione said. "Come on; I'll introduce you to Viktor!"

Krum, who had left to get Hermione and himself refills, had just returned. He handed Hermione her drink.

"Viktor, these are my friends Lucy and Jeremy," Hermione introduced.

"Very nice to meet you," Krum said, holding his hand out.

Lucy shook it, followed by Jeremy.

**~LJ:D~**

For the rest of the ball, Lucy and Jeremy spent their time either dancing or chatting with Hermione and Krum. It was a lovely end to the evening, and at midnight, the Weird Sisters played their final song. Everyone applauded for the band, and the Great Hall began to empty.

Hermione and Krum stepped off to the side in the entrance hall to say good night, leaving Lucy and Jeremy alone.

"I guess it's time to say good night," Jeremy said. He brushed her hair back again, looking a little disappointed.

"I guess so," Lucy said, smiling at him.

Jeremy leaned in and kissed her softly. "Good night," he said.

"Good night," Lucy repeated. "I'll see you soon."

"You can count on that," Jeremy replied. He kissed her forehead before following the rest of the Slytherins towards the dungeons.

Lucy turned and joined Hermione again, and the girls started for the common room. They neared Ron and Harry, but Hermione didn't stop or say a word. She breezed right passed them, and Lucy followed her.

They trudged into the Gryffindor common room, and Lucy went straight to the girls' stairs. She was halfway to her dormitory when she noticed that Hermione wasn't behind her anymore.

"'Mione?" Lucy asked. She turned around and went back down the stairs.

When she entered the common room, she was surprised to find Ron and Hermione standing at opposite ends of the room, screaming at each other. The portrait hole opened, and Harry climbed in.

"Well, if you don't like it, you know what the solution is, don't you?" Hermione shouted angrily.

"Oh, yeah?" Ron snapped. "What's that?"

"Next time there's a ball, ask me before someone else does, and not as a last resort!" Hermione yelled. Then she turned and marched back to the girls' staircase.

Lucy looked across the room at Harry, who seemed confused. Lucy shrugged at him before following Hermione up the stairs.

"I can't believe him!" Hermione raged when Lucy caught up to her. "Did he just expect me to wait around until he asked me to the ball?"

"Did you _want_ him to ask you to the ball?" Lucy asked.

That caught Hermione off-guard. "I—well—if he had asked me before Viktor, I _may_ have said yes," she said. She sighed and changed the subject, saying, "I'm glad you and Jeremy had a good time at the dance."

Lucy felt a smile growing on her face, although she also felt her cheeks warm up. "I've liked him for a long time," she admitted. "I didn't want to acknowledge what my feelings meant, though. You were right. I totally fancy him."

"I'm just glad that you've finally admitted it," Hermione said teasingly. The girls had reached their dormitory, and they paused outside the door. Hermione put her hand on Lucy's arm and added, "Just as long as you're happy. You are happy, right?"

"Yeah," Lucy replied. "Yeah, I am."

With that, the girls entered their dormitory, got ready for bed, said their good nights to each other, and fell asleep.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: This freaking chapter, man.**_

_**This chapter has had a couple of different versions in the many years since I originally wrote it. There was this whole side-story about Lucy and Jeremy being confused as to whether they were together or not, and it just turned into a giant mess. SO, I made Jeremy toughen up and ask her to be his girlfriend now, as he always should have.**_

_**Super-originally (before I actually even got this far in the writing), Lucy and Jeremy (Liza and John at the time, ha) weren't supposed to get together for a long time. Then, as I was writing these scenes, it just fell into place that they'd have their first kiss at the ball.**_

_**As George says after he sees them, he will get over it. I didn't really mention it a lot the first time around when I was writing the story, so there are a few moments from now until the end of this story where it gets brought up again.**_

_**And now Lucy knows what Jeremy's been keeping from her: his father was a Death Eater. I always intended for Jeremy to be kind of the opposite of Malfoy; they were both only children, brought up in very similar environments, whose fathers were a bit distant but expected them to carry on the family name, while their mothers completely doted on them. But the big difference is, while Malfoy looks up to his father and wants to bring honor and glory to his family name, Jeremy craves the power to be his own person and break away from everything his father stands for. That's why Jeremy is in Slytherin: because he values that self-empowerment and doing whatever it takes to achieve his goals.**_

_**Apologies for the length of this A/N. lol.**_


	18. 18: Hagrid's Mother

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 18 – Hagrid's Mother**

Lucy woke up late the next day. When she finally forced herself out of bed, she accompanied Hermione, Harry, and Ron to the Great Hall for breakfast. The hall had been restored to its usual state, the four house tables and the staff table back in place.

"Your hair is back to normal," Harry commented to Hermione as they ate their breakfast.

"Yes," Hermione replied. "I used nearly an entire bottle of Sleekeazy's Hair Potion on it last night to make it shiny and straight, but it's way too much bother to do every day."

Jeremy came over to their table and sat down. Lucy took the opportunity to tell Harry and Ron about what had happened during the ball.

"Just so you two know," she began, looking between Harry and Ron, "Jeremy and I are going out now, so he might be around a lot more often. I hope that's not a problem."

"It's fine with me," Harry said, shrugging.

Ron nodded his agreement, and Lucy was satisfied with their acceptance.

When they were finished with their meal, the Gryffindors trooped back up to their common room to begin the homework that they'd been assigned over the holidays. Harry and Ron also told the girls about the conversation they had overheard between Hagrid and Madam Maxime, during which Hagrid had admitted that he was a half-giant.

"Well, I thought he must be," Hermione said when the boys had finished. "I knew he couldn't be pure giant, because they're about twenty feet tall. Honestly, all this hysteria about giants—they can't _all _be horrible.… It's the same sort of prejudice that people have toward werewolves.… It's just bigotry, isn't it?"

Ron opened his mouth to retort, but Lucy elbowed him before he could say anything.

**~LJ:D~**

The rest of the holidays was spent doing homework. Most days, Lucy was in the library with Jeremy, since it was one of the only places where they could spend time together while completing their assignments. They surprisingly got a lot of work done, considering that they were easily distracted by each other.

Term began again, and the grounds were still covered in snow. The fourth-year Gryffindors had Herbology first thing, and then they had Care of Magical Creatures.

Lucy was nervous, as this was the first class she and Jeremy were in together. They hadn't been trying to hide their relationship, but they hadn't been flaunting it, either. Lucy wondered how the other Slytherins felt about Jeremy dating a Gryffindor, which then made her wonder how other Gryffindors would feel about her dating a Slytherin.

The Gryffindors trudged through the snow towards Hagrid's cabin, and when they reached it, they were surprised to see an older-looking witch with gray hair standing in front of the hut.

"Hurry up, now," she said impatiently. "The bell rang five minutes ago."

"Who're you?" Ron asked bluntly. "Where's Hagrid?"

"My name is Professor Grubbly-Plank," the witch introduced herself. "I am your temporary Care of Magical Creatures teacher."

"Where's Hagrid?" Harry echoed Ron.

"He is indisposed," Professor Grubbly-Plank answered.

They heard a laugh from behind them, and they turned to see Malfoy leading his gang of Slytherin friends towards them.

Jeremy joined Lucy, standing near to her and whispering, "Something happened, and Malfoy hasn't been able to shut up about it all morning—"

"This way, please," Professor Grubbly-Plank announced, and she led the way towards the Forbidden Forest.

Lucy looked up at Hagrid's house to see that all the curtains had been pulled across the windows.

"What's wrong with Hagrid?" Harry asked, hurrying to catch up with the substitute professor.

"Never you mind," Professor Grubbly-Plank scolded.

"I do mind, though," Harry insisted. "What's up with him?"

Professor Grubbly-Plank ignored him, and the class followed her around the Beauxbatons carriage. Tethered to a tree at the edge of the forest was a unicorn.

"Oh, it's so beautiful!" Lavender gushed. "How did she get it? They're supposed to be really hard to catch!"

"Boys, keep back!" Professor Grubbly-Plank instructed. "They prefer the woman's touch, unicorns. Girls to the front, and approach with care. Come on, easy does it.…"

Lucy obediently joined the rest of the girls in the class to get a bit closer to the unicorn, although she wanted to stay behind and see what trouble Malfoy was going to cause. One by one, the girls stepped forward to pet the unicorn, which was looking a little nervous but allowed the girls to touch it.

Professor Grubbly-Plank began to lecture about unicorns, but Lucy was hardly listening. She was looking back at the boys, who looked like they were about to get into an argument with Malfoy and his friends. Harry was holding a page from the _Daily Prophet_.

"Are you paying attention over there?" Professor Grubbly-Plank called.

Lucy jumped, but when she looked at the teacher, she saw that the professor was looking at the group of boys.

**~LJ:D~**

At the end of the lesson, many of Lucy's classmates were very impressed by Professor Grubbly-Plank. Lucy and Jeremy were walking back up to the castle with the rest of the Gryffindors.

"I hope she stays, that woman!" Parvati stated. "That's more what I thought Care of Magical Creatures would be like—_proper_ creatures, like unicorns—not monsters—"

"What about Hagrid?" Harry snapped.

"What _about_ him?" Parvati shot back coldly. "He can still be gamekeeper, can't he?"

"Oh, shut _up_, Parvati," Lucy said impatiently, and Parvati looked at her reproachfully. "You had a fine time at the ball without Harry. I saw you dancing with those Beauxbatons boys."

Parvati and Lavender marched ahead of Lucy wordlessly, and Lucy rolled her eyes at their backs. She didn't have the patience to deal with them acting dramatic.

"That _was_ a really good lesson," Hermione admitted as they entered the castle. "I didn't know half the things Professor Grubbly-Plank told us about uni—"

"Look at this!" Harry growled, shoving the page of newspaper into Hermione's hands.

Hermione stopped in the entrance hall to read the article, and Lucy read over her shoulder. It was an article all about Hagrid, written by none other than Rita Skeeter. In it, she had reported on how Hagrid bred the skrewts on his own. There was a quote from Malfoy, saying how he had been injured in Hagrid's class the year before and that everyone hated Hagrid. At the end of the article, Rita exposed Hagrid's secret that he was a half-giant.

Lucy's eyes widened as she read, and when she was finished, she looked up. "How can the _Prophet_ let her write stuff like this for their paper?" she seethed, and Jeremy placed a calming hand on her shoulder.

"How did that horrible Rita Skeeter woman find out?" Hermione asked, referring to the half-giant part of the article. "You don't think Hagrid _told_ her?"

"No," Harry said. "He never even told _us_, did he? I reckon she was so mad he wouldn't give her loads of horrible stuff about me that she went ferreting around to get him back." He led the way into the Great Hall, and they sat down at the Gryffindor table.

"Maybe she heard him telling Madam Maxime at the ball," Hermione whispered.

"We'd have seen her in the garden!" Ron said. "Anyway, she's not supposed to come into the school anymore. Hagrid said Dumbledore banned her—"

"Maybe she's got an Invisibility Cloak," Jeremy spoke up.

"Maybe," Harry said, looking thoughtful. "Sort of thing she'd do, isn't it? Hide in bushes, listening to people—"

"Like you and Ron did, you mean," Lucy pointed out.

"We weren't _trying_ to hear him!" Ron insisted. "We didn't have any choice! The stupid prat. He was talking about his giantess mother where anyone could have heard him!"

"Don't call Hagrid a prat," Lucy scolded. "And can you blame him for telling Madam Maxime? Even if she won't admit it, I'm pretty sure she's a half-giantess, and I bet Hagrid doesn't meet many half-giants often."

**~LJ:D~**

After lunch, Jeremy excused himself to run down to his dormitory. He kissed Lucy briefly on the forehead before heading towards the dungeons.

"We've got to go and see Hagrid," Harry said as the four Gryffindors walked up the marble staircase. "This evening after Divination. Tell him we want him back—you _do_ want him back?" he asked, looking pointedly at Hermione.

"I—well, I'm not going to pretend it didn't make a nice change, having a proper Care of Magical Creatures lesson for once," Hermione said, "but I _do_ want Hagrid back. Of course I do!" she added to try and placate the scowl that Harry was wearing.

So, they went back down to Hagrid's house after dinner. Harry knocked on the front door, and they could hear Fang barking from the inside.

"Hagrid, it's us!" Harry yelled. "Open up!"

Hagrid didn't answer. They continued to bang on the door for about ten more minutes. Ron even went around to the side of the cabin and knocked on one of the windows. Hagrid still didn't open his door.

"What's he avoiding _us_ for?" Hermione asked as they walked back up to the school. "He surely doesn't think _we'd_ care about him being half-giant?"

**~LJ:D~**

The following weekend there was a scheduled Hogsmeade visit.

"Are you and Jeremy going into Hogsmeade together, Lucy?" Hermione asked on Friday night as they sat around in the common room.

"Yeah," Lucy answered. "You're free to join us if you want, though. I think Daphne and Jake might be coming, too."

"I'd like to go with," Hermione said. "As long as you're sure you don't mind."

"Of course I don't," Lucy said, and Hermione returned to her book. Lucy turned to the boys and said, "Hey, Ron. Do you want to come to Hogsmeade with all of us?"

"Yeah, sure," Ron answered. "Are you coming, Harry?"

"Yeah," Harry replied.

"Really?" Hermione asked, looking up again.

"Why not?" Harry shot back.

"I just thought you'd want to take advantage of the common room being quiet," Hermione answered. "Really get to work on that egg."

"Oh, I—I reckon I've got a pretty good idea what it's about now," Harry said.

"Have you really?" Hermione asked. "Well done!"

**~LJ:D~**

The next day, the four of them met Jeremy, Daphne, and Jake in the Great Hall for breakfast, and then they all began the walk down to Hogsmeade. As they left the castle, they could see the Durmstrang ship anchored in the lake. Krum appeared on the deck, climbed up onto the side of the boat, and dove into the water.

"He's mad!" Harry exclaimed. "It must be freezing! It's January!"

"It's a lot colder where he comes from," Hermione explained. "I suppose it feels quite warm to him."

"Yeah, but there's still the giant squid," Ron said, sounding almost hopeful.

"That's not funny, Ron," Lucy said, rolling her eyes.

"I don't know what you mean," Ron replied loftily.

Hermione frowned at him. "He's really nice, you know," she said, talking about Krum. "He's not at all like you'd think, coming from Durmstrang. He told me he likes it much better here."

Ron didn't say anything in reply; he'd been avoiding the subject of Krum since the ball.

**~LJ:D~**

When the group got to Hogsmeade, they made their way up High Street, stopping in at a shop here and there. Daphne and Jake parted ways with them about an hour into the trip.

"Have fun on your _date_," Jeremy laughed.

Daphne blushed, which surprised Lucy. She didn't think anything ever fazed Daphne.

"Shut up, Whitlock," Daphne growled. Then she turned and walked away with Jake.

"Are they really going on a date?" Lucy asked Jeremy.

"They don't want to call it a date," Jeremy replied, rolling his eyes, "but it's totally a date. She has been head over heels for him since she met him, and I know he fancies her, too."

They continued down the street. Finally, Harry suggested that they go to the Three Broomsticks for some butterbeer. They entered the pub and went up to the bar to order their drinks.

"Doesn't he _ever_ go into the office?" Hermione said in a quiet voice. "Look!"

She pointed into the mirror on the wall behind the bar, and in the reflection, they saw Bagman sitting in a corner of the pub, surrounded by goblins. Bagman seemed stressed, but when he looked up, he saw Harry and excused himself from the goblins.

"Harry!" he said, coming up to them. "How are you? Been hoping to run into you! Everything going all right?"

"Fine, thanks," Harry replied.

"Wonder if I could have a quick, private word, Harry?" Bagman asked. "You couldn't give us a moment, you four, could you?"

"Er—okay," Ron said.

He, Hermione, Lucy, and Jeremy went off to find an empty table. They sat down, casting curious glances back at their friend and Bagman

"Bagman's seemed to really take an interest in Harry," Lucy said, frowning. "Wonder what he had to say to Harry that he couldn't say in front of us."

"It has to be tournament stuff," Hermione said. "I just hope he's not trying to _help_ Harry. That would definitely be cheating."

The four of them continued sipping on their butterbeers. A few minutes later, Fred and George entered the Three Broomsticks and hurried up to the bar. Bagman left a few seconds after, and Harry rejoined the others.

"What did he want?" Ron asked immediately.

"He offered me help with the golden egg," Harry replied.

"He shouldn't be doing that!" Hermione gasped. "He's one of the judges! Anyway, you've already worked it out—haven't you?"

"Er—nearly," Harry answered. Lucy looked suspiciously at him, and he avoided her gaze.

"Well, I don't think Dumbledore would like it if he knew Bagman was trying to persuade you to cheat!" Hermione said. "I hope he's trying to help Cedric as much!"

"He's not," Harry said. "I asked."

"Who cares if Diggory's getting help?" Ron said.

"Those goblins didn't look very friendly," Lucy said, changing the subject. "What were they doing here?"

"Looking for Crouch, according to Bagman," Harry replied. "He's still ill. Hasn't been into work."

"Maybe Percy's poisoning him," Ron sniggered. "Probably thinks if Crouch snuffs, it he'll be made Head of the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

"Be serious, Ron," Lucy said. "I wonder what's wrong with Crouch that he hasn't been into work in so long?"

"Funny, goblins looking for Crouch…" Jeremy added, frowning. "They'd normally deal with the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures." The other four looked at him, confused as to how he knew this, and he added, "My father is the head of that department."

"Crouch can speak loads of different languages, though," Harry pointed out. "Maybe they need an interpreter."

"Maybe," Hermione said, "but Jeremy's right. I'm sure there's a goblin interpreter in the Magical Creatures Department—"

"Worrying about poor 'ickle goblins, now, are you?" Ron asked. "Thinking of starting up S.P.U.G. or something? Society for the Protection of Ugly Goblins?"

"Ha, ha, ha," Hermione replied sarcastically. "Goblins don't need protection. Haven't you been listening to what Professor Binns has been telling us about goblin rebellions?"

"No," Harry and Ron said.

Lucy rolled her eyes, and Jeremy chuckled.

"Well, they're quite capable of dealing with wizards," Hermione explained. "They're very clever. They're not like house-elves, who never stick up for themselves."

Lucy went to take a sip of her butterbeer, glancing towards the door of the pub, and choked on her drink. "Uh-oh," she said.

Rita Skeeter and her photographer friend had just entered the pub. They started towards an empty table that was near Lucy and the others. When Rita got close, they could hear what she was saying to the photographer.

"—didn't seem very keen to talk to us, did he, Bozo?" she said. "Now, why would that be, do you think? What's he doing with a pack of goblins in tow, anyway? Showing them the sights—what nonsense—he was always a bad liar. Reckon something's up? Think we should do a bit of digging? _Disgraced Ex-Head of Magical Games and Sports, Ludo Bagman…_ Snappy start to a sentence, Bozo—now we just need to find a story to fit it—"

"Trying to ruin someone else's life?" Harry snarled loudly.

Rita Skeeter looked around and plastered a grin on her face when she spotted Harry. "Harry!" she exclaimed. "How lovely! Why don't you come and join—?"

"I wouldn't come near you with a ten-foot broomstick," Harry said angrily. "What did you do that to Hagrid for, eh?"

"Our readers have a right to the truth, Harry," Rita said. "I am merely doing my—"

"Who cares if he's half-giant?" Harry cried. "There's nothing wrong with him!"

The rest of the pub had stopped talking and were looking in Harry's direction.

Rita reached into her handbag and pulled out a quill. "How about giving me an interview about the Hagrid _you_ know, Harry?" she asked. "The man behind the muscles? Your unlikely friendship, and the reasons behind it. Would you call him a father substitute?"

Lucy opened her mouth to say something, but Hermione quickly stood up. "You horrible woman," she seethed. "You don't care, do you? Anything for a story, and anyone will do, won't they? Even Ludo Bagman—"

"Sit down, you silly little girl, and don't talk about things you don't understand," Rita said, glaring at Hermione. "I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl—_not_ that it needs it—"

"Let's go," Hermione said swiftly. "C'mon, Harry—Ron—"

Lucy, Jeremy, Harry, and Ron rose and followed Hermione from the pub.

"She'll be after you next, Hermione," Ron warned as they followed Hermione up High Street.

"Let her try!" Hermione stated. "I'll show her! Silly little girl, am I? Oh, I'll get her back for this. First Harry, then Hagrid—!"

"You don't want to go upsetting Rita Skeeter," Ron said. "I'm serious, Hermione. She'll dig up something on you—"

"My parents don't read the _Daily Prophet_," Hermione retorted, walking quite briskly. "She can't scare me into hiding! And Hagrid isn't hiding anymore! He should _never_ have let that sorry excuse for a human being upset him! Come _on_!"

She began to run back up to the castle, Harry and Ron following her. Lucy slowed, putting her hand on Jeremy's shoulder.

"You don't have to come with us if you don't want to," she said. "I know you don't know Hagrid as well as we do."

"I suppose this is something you four have to do on your own," Jeremy replied. "I guess I'll head back up to the castle. I have some homework that I could catch up on." He kissed her softly, and Lucy broke into a run after her friends.

**~LJ:D~**

When Lucy reached the others, Hermione was pounding on Hagrid's front door.

"Hagrid!" she cried. "Hagrid, that's enough! We know you're in there! Nobody cares if your mum was a giantess, Hagrid! You can't let that foul Skeeter woman do this to you! Hagrid, get out here! You're just being—!"

Suddenly, the door opened. Instead of Hagrid, the four Gryffindors came face to face with Professor Dumbledore.

"Good afternoon," he greeted, smiling at them.

"We—er—we wanted to see Hagrid," Hermione said timidly.

"Yes, I surmised as much," Dumbledore replied pleasantly. "Why don't you come in?"

"Oh—um—okay," Hermione stammered.

She, Lucy, Ron, and Harry filed into the cabin, and Fang jumped at them. Lucy scratched his ears, and he happily thumped his tail against the wall.

Hagrid was slumped at his table, a large cup of tea sitting in front of him. His eyes were red and swollen, and his face was blotchy from crying. His hair was tangled and messy, and he didn't seem to care at all about what he looked like.

"Hi, Hagrid," Harry said.

"'Lo," Hagrid croaked.

"More tea, I think," Dumbledore said. He took his wand out, and a tray with four more tea cups and a plate of cakes appeared.

The four students and Dumbledore sat down around the table.

"Did you by any chance hear what Miss Granger was shouting, Hagrid?" Dumbledore asked. "Hermione, Harry, Lucy, and Ron still seem to want to know you, judging by the way they were attempting to break down the door."

"Of course we still want to know you!" Harry exclaimed. "You don't think that Skeeter cow—sorry, Professor," he said, looking guiltily at Dumbledore.

"I have gone temporarily deaf and haven't any idea what you said, Harry," Dumbledore replied.

"Er—right," Harry said. "I just meant—Hagrid, how could you think we'd care what that—woman—wrote about you?"

"Living proof of what I've been telling you, Hagrid," Dumbledore said. "I have shown you the letters from the countless parents who remember you from their own days here, telling me in no uncertain terms that if I sacked you, they would have something to say about it—"

"Not all of 'em," Hagrid mumbled. "Not all of 'em wan' me ter stay—"

"Really, Hagrid, if you are holding out for universal popularity, I'm afraid you will be in this cabin for a very long time," Dumbledore said. "Not a week has passed since I became headmaster of this school when I haven't had at least one owl complaining about the way I run it. But what should I do? Barricade myself in my study and refuse to talk to anybody?"

"Yeh—yeh're not half-giant!" Hagrid said.

"Hagrid, look what I've got for relatives!" Harry insisted. "Look at the Dursleys!"

"An excellent point," Dumbledore said. "My own brother Aberforth was prosecuted for practicing inappropriate charms on a goat. It was all over the papers, but did Aberforth hide? No, he did not! He held his head high and went about his business as usual! Of course, I'm not entirely sure he can _read_, so that may not have been bravery.…" Lucy snorted, and Dumbledore gave her a small smile.

"Come back and teach, Hagrid," Hermione piped up. "Please come back. We really miss you."

Lucy saw some tears escape from Hagrid's eyes.

Dumbledore got to his feet. "I refuse to accept your resignation, Hagrid," he stated, "and I expect you back at work on Monday. You will join me for breakfast at eight-thirty in the Great Hall. No excuses. Good afternoon to you all." He strode to the door and left the hut.

Hagrid began wailing, burying his face in his arms. After a few minutes, he finally looked up. "Grea' man, Dumbledore," he sniffled. "Grea' man—"

"Yeah, he is," Ron agreed. "Can I have one of these cakes, Hagrid?"

Lucy shot him a look.

"Help yerself," Hagrid replied. "Ar, he's righ', o' course—yeh're all righ'—I bin stupid—me ol' dad woulda bin ashamed o' the way I've bin behavin'.… Never shown you a picture of me ol' dad, have I? Here—" He stood up and went to his dresser. There he pulled out a photograph and showed it to the others. The photo was of a young Hagrid, lifting his father onto his shoulders.

"Tha' was taken jus' after I got inter Hogwarts," Hagrid explained. "Dad was dead chuffed—thought I migh' not be a wizard, see, 'cos me mum… well, anyway. 'Course, I never was great shakes at magic, really—but at least he never saw me expelled. Died, see, in me second year.…"

"I'm sorry, Hagrid," Lucy said softly.

"Dumbledore was the one who stuck up fer me after Dad went," Hagrid continued. "Got me the gamekeeper job—trusts people, he does. Gives 'em second chances… tha's wha' sets him apar' from other Heads, see. He'll accept anyone at Hogwarts, s'long as they've got the talent. Knows people can turn out okay, even if their families weren'—well—all tha' respectable.

"Some don' understand tha'. There's some who'd always hold it against yeh.… There's some who'd even pretend they just had big bones rather than stand up an' say—I am wha' I am, an' I'm not ashamed. _Never be ashamed,_ me ol' dad used ter say. _There's some who'll hold it against yeh, but they're not worth botherin' with._ He was righ'. I've bin an idiot. And I'm not botherin' with _her_ no more, I promise yeh tha'. Big bones—I'll give her big bones—"

Lucy exchanged glances with Harry, Ron, and Hermione.

"Yeh know wha', Harry?" Hagrid said. "When I firs' met yeh, you reminded me o' me a bit. Mum an' Dad gone, an' you was feelin' like yeh wouldn' fit in at Hogwarts, remember? Not sure yeh were really up to it—an' now look at yeh, Harry! School champion!"

He paused and then went on, "Yeh know what I'd love, Harry? I'd love yeh ter _win_. I really would. It'd show 'em all—yeh don' have ter be pureblood ter do it. Yeh don' have ter be ashamed of wha' yeh are. It'd show 'em Dumbledore's the one who's got it righ', lettin' anyone in as long as they can do magic. How yeh doin' with tha' egg, Harry?"

"Great," Harry replied. "Really great."

Hagrid grinned for the first time since they'd been there. "Tha's my boy.… You show 'em, Harry. You show 'em," he said. "Beat 'em all."

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: The decision to make Jeremy's father head of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures was kind of spur of the moment. I wanted him to be high up at the Ministry, and this opening presented itself very nicely.**_


	19. 19: The Underwater Task

_**A/N: Happy Memorial Day to all my U.S. readers.**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 19 – The Underwater Task**

The next Friday in Charms class—while they were supposed to be practicing the Banishing Charm—Harry surprised Lucy and Hermione by telling them that he had taken his egg out the night before.

"You said you'd already worked out that egg clue!" Hermione gasped.

"Keep your voice down!" Harry scowled. "I just needed to—sort of—fine tune it, all right?"

"Doesn't sound like it," Lucy commented slyly.

Professor Flitwick went zooming past them, being Banished across the room by Neville.

"Just forget the egg for a minute, all right?" Harry requested impatiently. "I'm trying to tell you about Snape and Moody—"

"Sorry," Lucy said, waving her hand at him. "Continue."

So far, Harry had told them how he'd seen Crouch's name in Snape's office on the Marauder's Map the night before, and when he went to investigate, he had gotten stuck in a staircase and dropped his egg and the map. He continued to explain how Filch had found the egg and thought that Peeves had stolen it and then thrown it down the staircase. That's when Snape had showed up, saying that someone had broken into his office. Then Moody had joined them.

"Snape said Moody's searched his office, as well?" Ron asked, attempting to Banish a pillow across the room and instead sending it into the back of Parvati's head. "What—d'you reckon Moody's here to keep an eye on Snape as well as Karkaroff?"

"Well, I dunno if that's what Dumbledore asked him to do, but he's definitely doing it," Harry replied. "Moody said Dumbledore only lets Snape stay here because he's giving him a second chance or something—"

"What?" Ron said. "Harry… maybe Moody thinks _Snape_ put your name in the Goblet of Fire!"

"Ron," Lucy began, shaking her head, "we thought Snape was trying to kill Harry before, and it turned out he was saving Harry's life, remember?" She Banished a pillow, and it shot across the room and landed directly in the box.

Hermione Banished hers next, and it dropped on top of Lucy's. "I don't care what Moody says," Hermione said. "Dumbledore's not stupid. He was right to trust Hagrid and Professor Lupin, even though loads of people wouldn't have given them jobs, so why shouldn't he be right about Snape? Even if Snape is a bit—"

"Evil," Ron finished for her. "Come on, Hermione—why are all these Dark wizard catchers searching his office, then?"

"_One_ Dark wizard catcher," Lucy corrected him. "Crouch is no Auror. But then—why has he been pretending to be sick?"

"It's a bit funny, isn't it?" Hermione agreed thoughtfully. "That he can't manage to come to the Yule Ball, but he can get up here in the middle of the night when he wants to?"

"You just don't like Crouch because of that elf Winky," Ron said.

"_You_ just want to think Snape's up to something," Hermione retorted.

"I just want to know what Snape did with his first chance, if he's on his second one," Harry said.

**~LJ:D~**

That night, Harry sent a letter off to Sirius to tell him about what he'd overheard. Then he had explained to Lucy, Ron, and Hermione what the clue from the egg was.

"Let me get this straight," Lucy said when he was finished. "You have to go into the lake and get something of _yours_ that the merpeople have? All within an hour?"

"Yes," Harry confirmed. "What I wouldn't give for a set of Aqua-Lungs right now.…"

"Aqua-Lungs?" Ron repeated, confused.

"They're what Muggles use to help them breathe underwater," Harry explained.

"Well, couldn't you just Summon one to you, like you did with your broomstick?" Ron asked.

"He only has an hour to complete the task," Hermione reminded them. "By the time the Aqua-Lungs would get to Harry, and he figured out how to use them, he probably wouldn't have much of his hour left. Besides, an Aqua-Lungs zooming across the countryside would definitely be seen by at least one Muggle, which would break the International Code of Wizard Secrecy. Harry would be disqualified."

"Okay, so no Summoning Aqua-Lungs," Lucy said.

"Of course, the ideal solution would be for you to Transfigure yourself into a submarine or something," Hermione continued. "If only we'd done human Transfiguration already! I don't think we start that until sixth year, though, and it can go badly wrong if you don't know what you're doing—"

"Yeah, I don't fancy walking around with a periscope sticking out of my head," Harry said. "I s'ppose I could always attack someone in front of Moody; he might do if for me—"

"I don't think he'd let you choose what you wanted to be turned into, though," Hermione said. "No, I think your best chance is some sort of charm."

**~LJ:D~**

There were only a few weeks left until the second task, and the four Gryffindors spent all their spare time pouring over books in the library to find something helpful for Harry. Harry even got permission to look in the Restricted Section, but they were having no luck.

Since she'd been helping Harry so much, Lucy hadn't seen much of Jeremy outside of the classes that they shared. Five days before the task, she finally took a break from helping Harry to have lunch with her boyfriend.

"I feel like I've barely seen you these past few weeks," Jeremy said as he sat down next to her at the Gryffindor table.

"I know," Lucy said. "I'm sorry. We've been helping Harry with the tournament."

"Isn't he supposed to be working the clues out for himself?" Jeremy asked, smirking.

"He worked the clue out for himself," Lucy assured him. "We're just helping him figure out how he's going to do what the clue said he had to do."

"I suppose you're going to be a bit scarce for the next few days, then?" Jeremy guessed. "Besides during Potions and Care of Magical Creatures, I mean."

"I might be, yeah," Lucy replied. "We can still sit together at meal times, though."

"All right," Jeremy agreed. "After this task, though, we better have a whole bunch of study dates planned."

Lucy giggled. "Deal," she said.

**~LJ:D~**

With two days to go until the second task, Harry received a note from Sirius during breakfast. There was only one sentence on the small bit of parchment.

_Send date of next Hogsmeade weekend by return owl._

"Weekend after next," Hermione reported promptly, digging around in her bag. "Here—take my quill and send this owl back straight away."

Harry did as she said, and soon the owl was taking off again.

"What's he want to know about the next Hogsmeade weekend for?" Ron asked.

"Dunno," Harry replied, picking at the food on his plate but not eating anything.

"Harry, you need to have some breakfast," Lucy said.

Harry shook his head. "Come on…" he said. "Care of Magical Creatures."

Lucy, Hermione, and Ron had no choice but to follow him down to Hagrid's cabin.

**~LJ:D~**

Since his return to teaching, Hagrid had surprisingly continued Professor Grubbly-Plank's lessons on unicorns. That morning, he presented the class with two unicorn foals. Unlike their adult counterparts, these foals were gold in color.

"Easier ter spot than the adults," Hagrid explained as the class fawned over the young unicorns. "They turn silver when they're abou' two years old, an' they grow horns at aroun' four. Don' go pure white 'til they're full grown, 'round about seven. They're a bit more trustin' when they're babies—don' mind boys so much.… C'mon, move in a bit. Yeh can pat 'em if yeh want… give 'em a few o' these sugar lumps.…"

Lucy moved off to stand with Jeremy and Daphne.

"Hi," Jeremy said, putting his arm around Lucy's shoulders.

"Hi," Lucy replied.

"Ooh, _riveting_ conversation," Daphne joked. "What, you're not going to snog or anything?"

"We're in class," Jeremy said, rolling his eyes. "Besides, you're one to talk. You won't even get up the courage to snog Jake—"

"You _shut_ _your_ _damn __mouth_, Jeremy Whitlock," Daphne snapped. "You couldn't even get up the courage to ask Lucy to the ball."

Lucy laughed, and Jeremy pretended to look offended. "It sounds like you and Jake both like each other," Lucy told Daphne. "Why not go for it?"

"No, you're supposed to be on _my_ side!" Daphne wailed. "Jeremy's corrupting you."

Jeremy shook his head at her. "Lucy's right," he said. "Besides, after all the times you pestered me, it's time I returned the favor."

"Look, just to show you that I'm not on either side, Daphne," Lucy began, "maybe we need to let her do this in her own time and way, Jeremy."

Daphne pursed her lips for a moment. "Fine," she said. "I'll accept that. Maybe he hasn't corrupted you too much."

"Yet," Jeremy added with a smirk.

**~LJ:D~**

After class, Lucy joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione again. It had been nice to have a break from thinking about the tournament, but now Lucy was right back to worrying about Harry.

The rest of the day flew by in a flash, along with the next. The evening before the second task found Lucy, Harry, Hermione, and Ron in the library, feverishly searching through books for something—_anything_—that could help Harry.

"I don't reckon it can be done," Ron eventually moaned. "There's nothing. _Nothing_. Closest was that thing to dry up puddles and ponds—that Drought Charm—but that was nowhere _near_ powerful enough to drain the lake."

"Might also be helpful to the other champions," Lucy added.

"There must be _something_," Hermione said, her face an inch away from the book she was reading. "They'd never have set a task that was undoable."

"They have," Ron insisted. "Harry—tomorrow, just go down to the lake, stick your head in, yell at the merpeople to give back whatever they've nicked, and see if they chuck it out. Best you can do, mate."

"There's a way of doing it!" Hermione argued. "There just has to be!"

"It's probably something that you learn in sixth year," Lucy pointed out. "The champions were supposed to be seventeen, after all."

"I know what I should have done," Harry said. "I should've learned to be an Animagus like Sirius."

"Yeah! You could've turned into a goldfish any time you wanted!" Ron said.

"Or a frog," Harry said.

"It takes _years_ to become an Animagus," Hermione told them, "and then you have to register yourself and everything. Professor McGonagall told us, remember—you've got to register yourself with the Improper Use of Magic Office—what animal you become and your markings, so you can't abuse it—"

"Hermione, I was joking," Harry said. "I know I haven't got a chance of turning into a frog by tomorrow morning.…"

"Oh, this is no use," Hermione grumbled, pushing aside the book she had been reading. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind. Be a talking point, wouldn't it?"

Lucy glanced up to see Fred and George had appeared at their table. George looked back at her, and she gave him a small smile. Things had been a little bit weird between them, but it was slowly getting back to normal. George returned the smile, and Lucy breathed an internal sigh of relief.

"What're you two doing here?" Ron asked.

"Looking for you," George replied. "McGonagall wants you, Ron—and you, Hermione."

"Why?" Hermione asked.

"Dunno.… She was looking a bit grim, though," Fred answered.

"We're supposed to take you down to her office," George added.

Hermione and Ron looked around at Harry.

"We'll meet you back in the common room," Hermione said resignedly. "Bring as many of these books as you can, okay?"

"Right," Harry agreed.

Hermione and Ron followed Fred and George out, leaving Lucy and Harry alone with a huge stack of library books.

"Do you think they're going to get in trouble for helping me with this?" Harry asked.

"Why would Hermione and Ron get in trouble but not me?" Lucy shot back.

"Good point," Harry said, and the two of them went back to the books.

**~LJ:D~**

At eight o'clock, the librarian Madam Pince kicked them out of the library. Lucy and Harry gathered as many books as they could carry and headed back to the Gryffindor common room. As they researched late into the night, many other Gryffindors wished Harry luck as they went off to bed. Hermione and Ron still hadn't returned to the common room.

Lucy must have dozed off after a while, because suddenly Harry was shaking her awake. "Wha—oh, sorry, Harry," she mumbled, rubbing her eye with the heel of her hand.

"Lucy, go get some sleep," Harry said.

"Did you find something helpful?" Lucy asked, sitting up straighter.

"Not yet," Harry replied, sounding very determined, "but I'm going to go back to the library." He lifted his arm, showing her that he had retrieved his Invisibility Cloak.

"I'll come with you," Lucy offered immediately, but Harry shook his head.

"You, Hermione, and Ron have done more than enough to help me," he said. "You need to get some sleep. It's my own fault that I waited this long to try and figure out how to complete this task."

"Are you sure?" Lucy asked.

"Yes," Harry replied firmly. "You go to sleep, and I'll see you tomorrow."

"Okay," Lucy said slowly. "Good night, Harry. Good luck."

"Thanks," Harry replied. He pulled the cloak on over his head and left the common room.

Lucy trooped up the girls' staircase and entered her dormitory. She landed face first onto her bed, and she felt Evie hop up next to her. The last thing she noticed as she drifted off to sleep was that Hermione's bed was empty.

**~LJ:D~**

The next morning, Lucy saw that Hermione's bed will still made from the day before. _Did Hermione never come back?_ Lucy thought worriedly. She got dressed, taking care to put on multiple layers, since the second task was taking place by the lake. Then she went down to breakfast and sat next to Ginny and Neville.

"Good morning," Ginny said. "Where are Harry, Ron, and Hermione?"

"Harry's not here?" Lucy asked, looking up and down the table. Sure enough, there was no sign of him.

"Maybe he was too nervous," Neville suggested. "Maybe he didn't want to compete on a full stomach."

Lucy checked one of the clocks in the hall. "The task starts in half an hour," she said. "I hope he's okay.…"

"How about Ron and Hermione?" Ginny asked. "Have you seen them this morning?"

"They went to see Professor McGonagall last night, and I haven't seen them since," Lucy replied.

**~LJ:D~**

After breakfast, Lucy, Ginny, and Neville left the Great Hall with the rest of the school and headed down to the lake. The stands from the first task had been moved to the shore of the lake, and there was a table in front of them where the judges were sitting.

As Lucy followed her friends into the stands, she noticed that Crouch wasn't there again; instead, Percy was sitting in the fifth judge's seat. Krum, Fleur, and Cedric were also gathered in front of the judges' table, but Harry wasn't there.

"Miss Jones!" Professor McGonagall called. She was standing next to the judges' table. "Come down here, please!"

Lucy turned and pushed her way back out of the stands. "Yes, Professor?" she prompted when she reached the Transfiguration teacher.

"Have you seen Potter this morning?" Professor McGonagall asked.

"No, I haven't," Lucy answered. "He hasn't come down here yet?"

"He has not shown up, no," Professor McGonagall said. "Thank you, Miss Jones. You can go back to your seat."

Lucy rejoined Neville and Ginny in the stands. There were about ten minutes left to go before the task began, and most of the school and remaining foreign guests had taken their seats.

"Lucy!" Jeremy edged past a few people to stand next to his girlfriend.

Lucy automatically smiled when she saw him. "Morning," she greeted.

"Good morning," Jeremy replied, quickly kissing her forehead. He glanced over at the champions and asked, "Where's Harry?"

"Nobody's seen him," Lucy answered, and Jeremy frowned but didn't say anything.

A few more minutes ticked by.

Suddenly, people were pointing to a figure running towards the lake. Harry was sprinting down the lawn, and he stopped in front of the judges' table.

"Well, he was certainly cutting it close," Ginny muttered.

Bagman began separating the champions along the edge of the lake.

"Where are Hermione and Ron?" Jeremy asked.

"I'm not sure," Lucy replied. "Professor McGonagall needed to see them last night, and I haven't seen them since."

"I can't believe they're going to miss this!" Neville said.

"Well, all our champions are ready for the second task, which will start on my whistle," Bagman's voice said, magically ringing out over the crowd.

Lucy looked to see him sitting at the end of the judges' table with his wand pointed at his throat.

"They have precisely an hour to recover what has been taken from them," he continued. "On the count of three, then. One—two—_three_!" He blew the whistle hanging around his neck, and the four champions sprung into action.

Krum, Fleur, and Cedric pointed their wands at themselves and performed some kind of magic. Harry, on the other hand, stuffed something into his mouth and waded out into the lake. The other three dove into the water, disappearing from view, as Harry stood there. Some of the spectators began to laugh and point at him. Then Harry grabbed at his own throat, as though he was experiencing severe pain. He, too, dove into the lake and disappeared.

"What was _that_ all about?" Lucy asked as the crowd settled into their seats.

"I think Harry may have used gillyweed!" Neville exclaimed.

"Gillyweed?" Jeremy repeated.

"It's a plant," Neville replied. "When you eat it, it makes you sprout gills. I read about it in _Magical Water Plants of the Mediterranean_. Moody gave it to me, that—that day I had tea with him."

"So, the entire time while Harry was trying to find a spell to help him breathe underwater," Lucy said, shaking her head, "he could have just asked you about a plant?"

"I guess," Neville said.

"I wonder how Harry found out about it," Lucy said, "and where he got some.…"

**~LJ:D~**

Twenty minutes passed before anything happened. There was a splashing noise, and Fleur was breaking the surface of the water. Her robes were ripped, and it looked like she had cuts all over her face and arms. Madam Maxime hurried forward as Fleur staggered back onto the beach.

"What happened?" Neville asked anxiously as the entire crowd broke out into similar questions.

Madam Maxime ushered her champion up to the judges' table, and Madam Pomfrey hurried over to her.

Then Bagman's voice spoke above the noise. "Miss Delacour has unfortunately been forced to quit," he announced. "She will take no further part in this task."

The crowd complained at the lack of information, but the judges didn't say anything more.

**~LJ:D~**

Finally, after what seemed to be the longest wait ever, an hour had passed. There was no sign of Krum, Cedric, or Harry yet.

"Do you think something happened to them?" Neville asked shrilly.

"I'm sure they're fine, Neville," Lucy said. "They probably just had some troubles getting to where they were supposed to go."

About a minute after the hour, two figures broke the surface of the water. Lucy leaned forward hopefully. It wasn't Harry; it was Cedric, and with him was his Yule Ball date, Cho Chang. The crowd erupted in cheers as Cedric and Cho swam back up to shore. Madam Pomfrey hurried forward and wrapped towels around the two students.

"The thing that they had to recover that was taken from them—were their _friends_?" Lucy said.

"Not just friends," Ginny said slyly. "Cho is Cedric's _girlfriend_."

"No, think about it," Lucy said, waving her hand. "Ron and Hermione went to see Professor McGonagall last night and never came back to Gryffindor Tower. Obviously one of them is Harry's stolen thing!"

"That must be Ron," Ginny said. "Then where's Hermione?"

Lucy frowned for a moment, but then she realized who else was still in the lake. "Krum," she murmured. "Krum is still in the lake, too. Maybe _his_ stolen thing is Hermione!"

The words had barely left her mouth when another couple resurfaced. This time it was Krum, and Hermione was indeed with him.

"Good call," Jeremy said as the crowd showed their support for Krum's return.

Krum and Hermione made it back to the shore of the lake, and they were immediately wrapped in towels, as well. The only champion left was Harry.

"I just thought of something," Neville said. "What happens to the person Fleur was supposed to save? Since she couldn't get there, I mean."

Nobody answered him. Another fifteen minutes passed while the crowd anxiously awaited Harry's return. Then—

"Look!" Lee Jordan shouted from somewhere in the crowd.

The surface was bubbling, and then three people appeared. Harry was with Ron and a small girl that must have been Fleur's hostage. As they began to swim back to shore, a group of merpeople stuck their heads out of the water and swam forward.

Percy rushed forward to pull Ron from the lake, while Dumbledore and Bagman helped Harry up. Fleur pulled the young girl into a tight embrace. There was a lot of commotion, but now that all the champions had returned, they would be getting their points soon.

Dumbledore was standing at the edge of the shore, conversing with one of the merpeople. When he was done, he rounded up the judges to decide the final scores for the champions.

Lucy watched as Fleur swooped down on Harry and kissed him on both his cheeks. Then she turned to Ron and kissed him, as well.

"That probably made Ron's day," Lucy commented, shaking her head.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Bagman's voice called out magically, "we have reached our decision. Merchieftainess Murcus told us exactly what happened at the bottom of the black lake, and we have therefore decided to award marks out of fifty for each of the champions, as follows.…"

There were cheers from the crowd, which were silenced when Bagman waved his free hand over his head.

"Fleur Delacour, though she demonstrated excellent use of the Bubble-Head Charm, was attacked by grindylows as she approached her goal and failed to retrieve her hostage," he reported. "We award her twenty-five points."

The crowd applauded for her.

"Cedric Diggory," Bagman continued, "who also used the Bubble-Head Charm, was first to return with his hostage, though he returned one minute outside the time limit of an hour."

The Hufflepuffs in particular screamed loudly at this.

"We therefore award him forty-seven points."

There was more applause.

"Viktor Krum used an incomplete form of Transfiguration," Bagman went on, "which was nevertheless effective, and was second to return with his hostage. We award him forty points."

The other Durmstrang students roared for their classmate.

"Harry Potter used gillyweed to great effect," Bagman said. "He returned last, and well outside the time limit of an hour. However, the Merchieftainess informs us that Mr. Potter was first to reach the hostages, and that the delay in his return was due to his determination to return _all_ hostages to safety—not merely his own."

"Of course he did!" Lucy commented, shaking her head but smiling. _That's my brother_.

"Most of the judges feel that this shows moral fiber and merits full marks," Bagman said, glaring briefly at Karkaroff. "However—Mr. Potter's score is forty-five points."

Lucy, Jeremy, Neville, and Ginny all cheered as loudly as they could.

"Harry and Cedric are tied for first place!" Ginny informed the others.

"The third and final task will take place at dusk on the twenty-fourth of June," Bagman informed them all. "The champions will be notified what is coming precisely one month beforehand. Thank you all for your support of the champions."

The crowd began to disperse as the students in the stands started to head back up to the school.

Lucy looked over at Jeremy. "Do you want to come congratulate Harry with me?" she asked.

"Okay," Jeremy replied.

Lucy took his hand in hers, and the two of them hurried down to the edge of the lake, where Harry—looking very relieved—was surrounded by cheering Gryffindors.

"Hermione!" Lucy called.

Hermione broke away from Krum, beaming. "Sorry we never came back last night," she said. "So, you two found the gillyweed!"

"No, he must have found it after I went to bed," Lucy replied, and then she quickly explained what had happened the night before. When she was finished, she asked, "How's Harry feeling?"

"I think he's all right," Hermione replied. "He seems very tired, but Fred and George have already announced that they're going to throw a party in the common room tonight."

"Of course they did," Lucy said. She looked at Harry and Ron, who were being escorted back to the castle by a Gryffindor entourage. Then Lucy turned back to Hermione and Jeremy. "Shall we?" she said.

Hermione said a hurried farewell to Krum, and she, Lucy, and Jeremy went back up to the castle.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: I love the conversation Lucy, Jeremy, and Daphne have in this chapter.**_


	20. 20: Sirius in Hogsmeade

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 20 – Sirius in Hogsmeade**

Everyone in the school wanted to know what had happened in the lake during the second task. This meant that Ron and Hermione were getting just as much attention as Harry. Ron was enjoying every moment of it, and as the first week after the task went on, his story got more and more outrageous. Hermione, on the other hand, was receiving a lot of teasing about being Krum's hostage.

February ended, and March began with windy, overcast weather. Most students were starting to dread going outside for Herbology and Care of Magical Creatures.

Jeremy was spending a lot more time at the Gryffindor table at meal times, which was going smoothly. Harry, Ron, and Hermione didn't seem to mind, and Lucy was relieved about that.

However, a problem arose when an owl brought Harry a response from Sirius the Friday morning before the next Hogsmeade weekend.

"Who's that from?" Jeremy asked casually as Harry pulled the letter off the owl's foot.

Harry froze, glancing to Lucy.

"Professor Lupin," Lucy said, feeling a bit guilty about lying to Jeremy.

He frowned but nodded in acceptance. "Well, I need to run back to my common room," he said. "I'll see you later." He kissed Lucy's forehead before standing up and leaving the Great Hall.

"I know he's your boyfriend now, but you _can't_ tell him about Sirius," Harry said once he was gone.

"You told me not to tell him about the Polyjuice Potion in the second year; remember how _that_ turned out?" Lucy pointed out.

"I mean it," Harry said. "We can't tell anyone—_ever_."

Lucy sighed. "I know," she said. Harry gave her a skeptical look, and Lucy repeated, "I _know_, Harry. Trust me, I understand better than anyone. I just feel guilty about lying to him."

"It'll be all right, Lucy," Hermione said. "I'm sure someday you'll be able to tell him everything."

Lucy shrugged and nodded.

Harry, meanwhile, opened the note from Sirius. He and Ron read it before handing it across the table to Lucy and Hermione.

_Be at stile at end of road out of Hogsmeade (past Dervish and Banges) at two o'clock on Saturday afternoon. Bring as much food as you can._

"He hasn't come back to Hogsmeade?" Hermione asked in disbelief.

"It looks like it, doesn't it?" Lucy replied, passing the letter back.

"I can't believe him," Harry said through gritted teeth. "If he's caught—"

"Made it so far, though, hasn't he?" Ron pointed out. "It's not like the place is swarming with dementors anymore."

Harry put the letter in his robes, frowning deeply.

**~LJ:D~**

That afternoon, the Gryffindor fourth-years headed down to the dungeons for double Potions.

Jeremy was waiting for Lucy at the foot of the stairs. "Well, you'll be happy to know that Malfoy and his friends are up to something again," he reported flatly.

Lucy took his hand and squeezed it. Then they followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione to the door of the Potions room, where Malfoy was grouped with many of the other Slytherins, including Pansy Parkinson.

"There they are! There they are!" Pansy stage-whispered, and the Slytherins turned to the approaching Gryffindors. Pansy was clutching a copy of _Witch Weekly_. "You might find something to interest you in there, Granger!" she screeched, tossing the magazine to Hermione.

Hermione caught it, but before she could look at it, Snape opened the classroom door and ushered them inside.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione sat down at a table in the back, and Lucy and Jeremy sat at the one next to them. Hermione was busy looking through the magazine while Snape went over the potion they were going to be working on that day. As much as Lucy wanted to see what was in the magazine, she couldn't talk to the others during class without getting in trouble.

"So, um—about Hogsmeade this weekend," Lucy started as she and Jeremy began working on their potions.

"Why do I feel like I'm about to be disappointed?" Jeremy asked teasingly.

"There's just something that Harry, Ron, Hermione, and I need to do," Lucy said. "I hope you can understand."

"It's fine," Jeremy said. "I'm never going to get in between the four of you."

"Well, maybe someday I can tell you all our secrets," Lucy said, smiling.

"Hopefully," Jeremy replied with a wink. "We'll have to do something together on the next Hogsmeade trip, though."

"Definitely," Lucy agreed, feeling relieved. "We will."

They continued to work on their potions while Snape prowled around the dungeon.

"Fascinating though your social life undoubtedly is, Miss Granger," he said, stopping behind Harry, Ron, and Hermione, "I must ask you not to discuss it in my class. Ten points from Gryffindor. Ah… reading magazines under the table, as well?" Snape picked up the copy of _Witch Weekly_. "A further ten points from Gryffindor—oh, but of course—Potter has to keep up with his press cuttings—"

Then Snape began to read the article aloud, much to the embarrassment of Harry and Hermione. Lucy's eyes widened; Rita Skeeter had written all about how Hermione loved famous wizards.

"…_Harry Potter's well-wishers must hope that, next time, he bestows his heart upon a worthier candidate_," Snape finished. "How very touching. Well, I think I had better separate the three of you, so you can keep your minds on your potions rather than on your tangled love lives. Weasley, you stay here. Miss Granger, over there, beside Miss Parkinson. Potter—that table in front of my desk. Move. _Now_."

Hermione gave Lucy a helpless look, who shrugged in return. She watched as Harry and Hermione moved to their new places, leaving Ron glowering in his seat.

"Well, that was uncalled for," Lucy said in a quiet voice as Snape swept back to the front of the room.

"Are you surprised?" Jeremy asked.

"I'm surprised that people think Hermione's interested in Harry in that way," Lucy replied.

"Not everyone is privileged to be their best mate like you are," Jeremy reminded her.

Lucy sighed and looked at Harry. Snape was sitting at his desk directly in front of Harry's table, and it looked like they were hissing back and forth to each other.

"What do you think they're talking about?" Lucy asked, watching them.

"I don't know," Jeremy said. "Lucy, you should really concentrate on your potion. It's turning orange.…"

Lucy reluctantly turned back to her work.

Not a moment later, there was a knock on the classroom door.

"Enter," Snape called.

The door opened, and Karkaroff stepped inside. Everyone turned to look at him as he hurried up to the front of the room. He and Snape exchanged a few whispers, and then Karkaroff stood behind Snape's desk for the rest of the class.

**~LJ:D~**

At the end of class, Lucy and Jeremy packed their things and exited the room. Ron and Hermione joined them soon after, but Harry hadn't come out.

"Where's Harry now?" Hermione asked, looking around the dungeon corridor.

Ron shrugged.

Jeremy turned to Lucy. "I told Daphne that I'd meet her after class," he said, "so I'll see you later, okay?"

Lucy nodded. Jeremy briefly kissed her forehead, waved to Hermione and Ron, and left for the Slytherin common room.

A few minutes later, Harry exited the classroom. "Karkaroff showed Snape something on his arm," he explained to his friends as they set off for dinner. "He said that it had never been this clear, but Snape didn't let him say anything else and told him to put it away. He seemed really angry."

"Something on his arm?" Ron repeated.

"We can ask Sirius about it tomorrow," Hermione said in a low voice. "Maybe he'll know what they were talking about."

**~LJ:D~**

The next morning was considerably warmer than it had been the past few months. Lucy, Hermione, Harry, and Ron left for Hogsmeade with the rest of the school. On the way, they had to remove their coats, because they were getting too warm. Harry was also carrying a bag of food for Sirius.

Their first stop was Gladrags Wizardwear, so Harry could purchase some socks for Dobby. He had admitted to the others that Dobby was the one who had told him about the gillyweed.

Then, at a half past one, they made their way to the end of High Street. The cottages became more spread out the farther they walked. They turned the corner at the end of the street and saw a large, black dog sitting there.

"Hello, Sirius," Harry said as they approached the dog.

Sirius sniffed at Harry's bag before turning and walking away towards the mountain behind the town. The four Gryffindors followed him.

The base of the mountain was very rocky. It was easy for Sirius to navigate it as a dog, but the others had a bit more difficulty. It was a long walk, with the kids slipping and stumbling over the rocks.

Eventually, Sirius slipped out of sight. The others followed to find a narrow opening to a cave. Lucy squeezed inside after Hermione. Buckbeak, the hippogriff they had rescued the year before, was tethered against one wall. Lucy hurried forward to the hippogriff, who didn't even make her bow, and began to stroke his feathers.

Meanwhile, Sirius had morphed from a dog into his normal human form. "Chicken!" he said, his eyes zeroing in on Harry's bag.

Harry opened the bag and handed over the food.

Sirius unwrapped the chicken legs, sat on the floor, and tore into a drumstick. "Thanks," he said. "I've been living off rats mostly. I can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade; I'd draw attention to myself." He grinned.

Harry smiled back, although he looked anxious. "What're you doing here, Sirius?" he asked.

"Fulfilling my duty as godfather," Sirius replied. He glanced at Lucy and winked. "Don't worry about it," he continued. "I'm pretending to be a loveable stray." Harry looked unconvinced, so Sirius explained further, "I want to be on the spot. Your last letter—well, let's just say things are getting fishier. I've been stealing the paper every time someone throws one out, and by the looks of things, I'm not the only one who's getting worried." He motioned to a pile of old papers on the floor.

Ron went over to them and started to leaf through the pages.

"What if they catch you?" Harry insisted. "What if you're seen?"

"You four and Dumbledore are the only ones around here who know I'm an Animagus," Sirius said with a shrug.

Ron passed Harry a couple copies of the newspaper.

"_Mystery Illness of Bartemius Crouch_… _Ministry Witch Still Missing—Minister of Magic Now Personally Involved_…" Harry read the titles of the articles. He read through one of them. "They're making it sound like he's dying," Harry commented about Crouch when he'd finished, "but he can't be that ill if he managed to get up here—"

"My brother's Crouch's personal assistant," Ron added to Sirius. "He says Crouch is suffering from overwork."

"Mind you, he _did_ look ill the last time I saw him up close," Harry said. "It was the night my name came out of the goblet—"

"Getting his comeuppance for sacking Winky, isn't he?" Hermione said.

"I don't think that's what this is," Lucy said, shaking her head.

"Still, I bet he wishes he hadn't done it now!" Hermione insisted. "Bet he feels the difference now she's not there to look after him."

"Hermione's obsessed with house-elves," Ron told Sirius.

"Crouch sacked his house-elf?" Sirius asked.

"Yeah, at the Quidditch World Cup," Harry answered. He then told Sirius the entire story of what happened at the World Cup. As he finished, Sirius stood up and began pacing the cave.

"Let me get this straight," Sirius said. "You first saw the elf in the Top Box. She said she was saving Crouch a seat, right?"

"Right," Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all said.

"But Crouch didn't turn up for the match?" Sirius asked.

"No," Harry said. "I think he said he'd been too busy."

Sirius paced in silence for a few moments. "Harry," he said, turning to his godson, "did you check your pockets for your wand after you'd left the Top Box?"

"Erm—" Harry had to stop to think for a minute. "No. I didn't need to use it before we got in the forest. Then I put my hand in my pocket, and all that was in there were my Omnioculars. Are you saying whoever conjured the mark stole my wand in the Top Box?"

"It's possible," Sirius said.

"Winky didn't steal that wand!" Hermione cried.

"The elf wasn't the only one in that box," Sirius said. "Who else was sitting behind you?"

"Loads of people," Harry replied.

"Some Bulgarian ministers," Lucy recounted, holding up her fingers to keep tally. "Cornelius Fudge—the Malfoys—"

"The Malfoys!" Ron exclaimed. "I bet it was Lucius Malfoy!"

"Anyone else?" Sirius asked.

"No one," Harry said, shaking his head.

"Yes, there was. There was Ludo Bagman," Lucy corrected.

"Oh, yeah…" Harry said.

"I don't know anything about Bagman, except that he used to be Beater for the Wimbourne Wasps," Sirius said. "What's he like?"

"He's okay," Harry answered. "He keeps offering to help me with the tournament."

"Does he, now?" Sirius said, frowning. "I wonder why he'd do that."

"Says he's taken a liking to me," Harry said.

"Hmm," Sirius said.

"We saw him in the forest, just before the Dark Mark appeared," Hermione said. "Remember?" She looked at Harry and Ron.

"Yeah, but he didn't _stay_ in the forest, did he?" Ron shot back. "The moment we told him about the riot, he went off to the campsite."

"How d'you know?" Hermione said. "How d'you know where he Disapparated to?"

"Come off it," Ron scoffed. "Are you saying you reckon Ludo Bagman conjured the Dark Mark?"

"It's more likely _he_ did it than Winky," Hermione replied.

"Told you," Ron said, looking at Sirius. "Told you she's obsessed with house—"

Sirius held his hand up to stop Ron. "When the Dark Mark had been conjured," he started, "and the elf had been discovered holding Harry's wand, what did Crouch do?"

"Went to look in the bushes," Harry answered, "but there wasn't anyone else there."

"Of course," Sirius said. "Of course he'd want to pin it on anyone but his own elf… and then he sacked her?"

"Yes," Hermione answered, her eyes hard, "he sacked her. Just because she hadn't stayed in her tent and let herself get trampled—"

"Hermione, will you give it a rest with the damn elf!" Ron snapped.

Sirius shook his head. "She's got the measure of Crouch better than you have, Ron," he said. "If you want to know what a man's like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals."

"Crouch seems like the type to think that everyone are his inferiors," Lucy muttered.

Sirius smirked at her before going on, "All these absences of Barty Crouch's.… He goes to the trouble of making sure his house-elf saves him a seat at the Quidditch World Cup but doesn't bother to turn up and watch. He works very hard to reinstate the Triwizard Tournament and then stops coming to that, too.… It's not like Crouch. If he's ever taken a day off work because of illness before this, I'll eat Buckbeak."

"D'you know Crouch, then?" Harry asked.

Sirius glowered at the floor. "Oh, I know Crouch, all right," he said. "He was the one who gave the order for me to be sent to Azkaban—without a trial."

"_What_?" Ron and Hermione gasped.

"No!" Lucy breathed.

"You're kidding!" Harry said.

"No, I'm not," Sirius said. "Crouch used to be Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, didn't you know?" The others shook their heads, and Sirius explained, "He was tipped for the next Minister of Magic. Barty Crouch is a great wizard—powerfully magical—and power-hungry. Oh, never a Voldemort supporter," he assured Harry at the look of alarm that had appeared on his face. "No, Barty Crouch was always very outspoken against the Dark side. But then, a lot of people who were against the Dark side—well, you wouldn't understand—you're too young."

"That's what my dad said at the World Cup," Ron said. "Try us, why don't you?"

Sirius smirked. "All right, I'll try you," he said.

He took a breath and then began, "Imagine that Voldemort's powerful now. You don't know who his supporters are. You don't know who's working for him and who isn't. You know he can control people so that they do terrible things without being able to stop themselves. You're scared for yourself, your family, and your friends. Every week, news comes of more deaths—more disappearances—more torturing.… The Ministry of Magic's in disarray; they don't know what to do, and they're trying to keep everything hidden from the Muggles. Meanwhile, Muggles are dying, too. Terror everywhere—panic—confusion—that's how it used to be.

"Well, times like that bring out the best in some people—and the worst in others," Sirius continued as the other four remained silent, hanging onto his every word. "Crouch's principles might've been good in the beginning—I wouldn't know. He rose quickly through the Ministry, and he started ordering very harsh measures against Voldemort's supporters. The Aurors were given new powers—powers to kill rather than capture, for instance. I wasn't the only one who was handed straight to the dementors without trial.

"Crouch fought violence with violence and authorized the use of the Unforgivable Curses against suspects. I would say he became as ruthless and cruel as many on the Dark side. He had his supporters, mind you—plenty of people thought he was going about things the right way, and there were a lot of witches and wizards clamoring for him to take over as Minister of Magic.

"When Voldemort disappeared, it looked like only a matter of time until Crouch got the top job. Then, something rather unfortunate happened.… Crouch's own son was caught with a group of Death Eaters who'd managed to talk their way out of Azkaban. Apparently, they were trying to find Voldemort and return him to power."

"Crouch's _son_ was caught?" Hermione repeated in disbelief.

"Yep," Sirius replied. "Nasty little shock for old Barty, I'd imagine. Should have spent a bit more time at home with his family, shouldn't he? Ought to have left the office early once in a while—gotten to know his own son."

"_Was_ his son a Death Eater?" Harry asked.

"No idea," Sirius replied. "I was in Azkaban myself when he was brought in. This is mostly stuff I've found out since I got out. The boy was definitely caught in the company of people I'd bet my _life_ were Death Eaters—but he might have been in the wrong place at the wrong time, just like the house-elf."

"Did Crouch try and get his son off?" Hermione asked in a quiet voice.

"Crouch, let his son off?" Sirius echoed, laughing. "I thought you had the measure of him, Hermione! Anything that threatened to tarnish his reputation had to go; he had dedicated his whole life to becoming Minister of Magic. You saw him dismiss a devoted house-elf because she associated him with the Dark Mark again—doesn't that tell you what he's like? Crouch's fatherly affection stretched just far enough to give his son a trial, and by all accounts, it wasn't much more than an excuse for Crouch to show how much he hated the boy.… Then he sent him straight to Azkaban."

"He gave his own _son_ to the dementors?" Lucy asked incredulously.

"That's right," Sirius replied. "I saw the dementors bringing him in. I watched them through the bars in my cell door. He can't have been more than nineteen. They took him into a cell near mine. He was screaming for his mother by nightfall. He went quiet after a few days, though—they all went quiet in the end—except when they shrieked in their sleep.…"

Sirius looked haunted by the memory of Azkaban, and Lucy went over to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"So, is he still in Azkaban?" Harry asked.

"No," Sirius replied. "No, he's not in there anymore. He died about a year after they brought him in."

"He _died_?" Harry repeated.

"He wasn't the only one," Sirius said. "Most go mad in there, and plenty stop eating in the end. They lose the will to live. You could always tell when a death was coming, because the dementors could sense it and got excited. And that boy looked pretty sickly when he arrived. Crouch—being an important Ministry member—and his wife were allowed a deathbed visit. That was the last time I saw Barty Crouch, half carrying his wife past my cell. She died herself, apparently, shortly afterward. Grief—wasted away just like the boy. Crouch never came for his son's body. The dementors buried him outside the fortress; I watched them do it.

"So, old Crouch lost it all, just when he thought he had it made. One moment, a hero; poised to become Minister of Magic—next, his son was dead, his wife was dead, the family name was dishonored, and—so I've heard since I escaped—he had a big drop in popularity. Once the boy had died, people started feeling a bit more sympathetic toward the son and started asking how a nice young lad from a good family had gone so badly astray. The conclusion was that his father never cared much for him.

"So, Cornelius Fudge got the top job," Sirius finished, "and Crouch was shunted sideways into the Department of International Magical Cooperation."

There was a silence after that. None of the fourth-years quite knew what to say. Sirius went back to eating the food they had brought him.

"Moody says Crouch is obsessed with catching Dark wizards," Harry spoke up eventually.

"Yeah, I've heard it's become a bit of a mania with him," Sirius said. "If you ask me, he still thinks he can bring back the old popularity by catching one more Death Eater."

"So he snuck up here to search Snape's office!" Ron exclaimed.

"Yes, and that doesn't make sense at all," Sirius said.

"Yeah, it does!" Ron said, but Sirius shook his head.

"Listen, if Crouch wants to investigate Snape, why hasn't he been coming to judge the tournament?" Sirius pointed out. "It would be an ideal excuse to make regular visits to Hogwarts and keep an eye on him."

"So, you think Snape could be up to something, then?" Harry asked.

"Look, I don't care what you say," Hermione interrupted, sounding irritated. "Dumbledore trusts Snape—"

"Oh, give it a rest, Hermione," Ron said. "I know Dumbledore's brilliant and everything, but that doesn't mean a really clever Dark wizard couldn't fool him—"

"Why did Snape save Harry's life in the first year, then?" Lucy asked. "Why didn't he just let him die?"

"I dunno," Ron said, shrugging. "Maybe he thought Dumbledore would kick him out—"

"What _d'you_ think, Sirius?" Harry asked loudly.

"I think they've all got a point," Sirius replied. "Ever since I found out Snape was teaching here, I've wondered why Dumbledore hired him. Snape's always been fascinated by the Dark Arts. He was famous for it at school; slimy, oily, greasy-haired kid, he was." He shot a smile at Harry, who returned it, before continuing, "Snape knew more curses when he arrived at school than half the kids in seventh year, and he was part of a gang of Slytherins who nearly all turned out to be Death Eaters."

He began counting them on his fingers. "Rosier and Wilkes—they were both killed by Aurors the year before Voldemort fell. The Lestranges—they're a married couple—they're in Azkaban. Avery—from what I've heard he wormed his way out of trouble by saying he'd been acting under the Imperius Curse—he's still at large. But as far as I know, Snape was never even _accused_ of being a Death Eater—not that that means much. Plenty of them were never caught. Snape's certainly clever and cunning enough to keep himself out of trouble."

"Snape knows Karkaroff pretty well, but he wants to keep that quiet," Ron said.

"Yeah, you should've seen Snape's face when Karkaroff turned up in Potions yesterday!" Harry said. "Karkaroff wanted to talk to Snape—he says Snape's been avoiding him. Karkaroff looked really worried. He showed Snape something on his arm, but I couldn't see what it was."

"He showed Snape something on his arm?" Sirius echoed. He ran his hand through his hair but then shrugged. "Well, I've no idea what that's about—but if Karkaroff's genuinely worried, and he's going to Snape for answers…" He stared at the wall for a few seconds and then said, "There's still the fact that Dumbledore trusts Snape. I know Dumbledore trusts where a lot of other people wouldn't, but I just can't see him letting Snape teach at Hogwarts if he'd ever worked for Voldemort."

"Why are Moody and Crouch so keen to get into Snape's office, then?" Ron asked.

"Well, I wouldn't put it past Mad-Eye to have searched every single teacher's office when he got to Hogwarts," Sirius said. "He takes his Defense Against the Dark Arts seriously, Moody. I'm not sure _he _trusts anyone at all, and after the things he's seen, it's not surprising. I'll say this for Moody, though; he never killed if he could help it. Always brought people in alive where possible. He was tough, but he never descended to the level of the Death Eaters.

"Crouch, though—he's a different matter.… Is he really ill? If he is, why did he make the effort to drag himself up to Snape's office? And if he's not… what's he up to? What was he doing at the World Cup that was so important he didn't turn up to the Top Box? What's he been doing while he should have been judging the tournament?"

There was another moment of silence.

Sirius tossed his chicken bones at Buckbeak. "You say your brother's Crouch's personal assistant?" he asked Ron. "Any chance you could ask him if he's seen Crouch lately?"

"I can try," Ron replied. "Better not make it sound like I reckon Crouch is up to anything dodgy, though. Percy _loves_ Crouch."

"You might want to try and find out whether they've got any leads on Bertha Jorkins while you're at it," Sirius added.

"Bagman told me they hadn't," Harry said.

"Yes, he's quoted in the article in there," Sirius said, motioning to the pile of _Daily Prophets_. "Blustering on about how bad Bertha's memory is. Well, maybe she's changed since I knew her, but the Bertha I knew wasn't forgetful at all—quite the reverse. She was a bit dim, but she had an excellent memory for gossip. It used to get her into a lot of trouble; she never knew when to keep her mouth shut. I can see her being a bit of a liability at the Ministry of Magic—maybe that's why Bagman didn't bother to look for her for so long.…"

He sighed, and then asked, "What's the time?"

"It's half past three," Hermione reported.

"You'd better get back to school," Sirius said. "Now, listen.… I don't want you lot sneaking out of school to see me, all right? Just send notes to me here. I still want to hear about anything odd. You're not to go leaving Hogwarts without permission; it would be an ideal opportunity for someone to attack you."

"No one's tried to attack me so far except a dragon and a couple of grindylows," Harry insisted.

"I don't care," Sirius said impatiently. "I'll breathe freely again when this tournament's over, and that's not until June. Now, don't forget, if you're talking about me among yourselves, call me Snuffles, okay?" He handed the empty flask to Harry. "I'll walk to the edge of the village with you and see if I can scrounge another paper."

Harry, Ron, and Hermione squeezed through the cave opening, but Sirius put his hand on Lucy's shoulder to stop her.

"You need to watch over him, now more than ever," Sirius whispered. "Be my eyes and ears. Don't be afraid to go to Dumbledore if anything happens. Promise me you'll try and keep him safe."

"I promise," Lucy said.

Sirius pulled her into a very brief embrace. It was a fatherly hug, and Lucy felt a rush of emotions. "Something's coming, Lucy," Sirius said, pulling away. "I have a bad feeling about everything that's been happening."

Lucy nodded. "Me, too," she murmured.

Sirius gave her a grim smile, added, "It was good to see you," and then transformed into the dog.

Lucy exited the cave, followed by Sirius, and the five of them made their way back towards the village. They stopped at the bottom of the mountain, and the four Gryffindors each patted Sirius on the head. Then Sirius turned and ran back to his cave.

The others made their way through the village.

"Wonder if Percy knows all that stuff about Crouch?" Ron asked, breaking the silence as they set off for the castle. "Maybe he doesn't care—it'd probably just make him admire Crouch even more. Percy loves rules. He'd just say Crouch was refusing to break them for his own son."

"Percy would never throw any of his family to the dementors," Hermione said.

"I don't know," Ron replied. "If he thought we were standing in the way of his career—Percy's really ambitious, you know.…"

They reached the castle and began up the front steps. The smell of dinner in the Great Hall was wafting out the front doors.

"Poor old Snuffles," Ron said. "He must really like you, Harry.… Imagine having to live off rats."

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: All the scenes between Lucy and Sirius make me feel so heartbroken at the end, because they'll never get the opportunity to be a proper family.**_


	21. 21: Granger vs Skeeter

_**A/N: I've made a mistake, because I decided to make a medium-sized change to story number seven. Because I can't seem to leave something alone after I've "finished" it. LOL ANYWAY, onto **_**this_ story, which is finished and I'm not editing again._**

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 21 – Granger vs Skeeter**

The next morning, Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione went up to the Owlery to send Percy a letter. They chose Hedwig to carry it, since she hadn't had much work lately. Once the letter had been sent, they went down to the kitchens, so Harry could give Dobby the socks he'd bought.

When they entered the kitchens, the house-elves hustled to make them some tea. Harry found Dobby and gave him the socks, and Dobby was nearly speechless.

"Harry Potter is too good to Dobby!" Dobby cried.

"You saved my life with that gillyweed, Dobby," Harry insisted. "You really did."

"No chance of more of those éclairs, is there?" Ron asked the nearby house-elves.

"You've just had breakfast!" Hermione exclaimed.

Four house-elves were already hurrying forward with a large platter of éclairs. Ron took a few, grinning.

"We should get some stuff to send up to Snuffles," Harry whispered.

"Good idea," Ron said. "Give Pig something to do. You couldn't give us a bit of extra food, could you?" he asked the house-elves.

They ran off excitedly, and Hermione scowled. "Dobby, where's Winky?" she questioned.

"Winky is over there, by the fire, miss," Dobby replied in a hushed voice.

"Oh, dear," Hermione gasped.

Lucy, Ron, and Harry turned to the fire and saw Winky sitting on the same stool as before, looking very filthy. She held a bottle of butterbeer in her hand and was staring into the flames, hiccupping regularly.

"Winky is getting through six bottles a day now," Dobby told them.

"Well, it's not strong, that stuff," Harry commented.

"'Tis strong for a house-elf, sir," Dobby said, shaking his head. "Winky is pining, Harry Potter. Winky wants to go home. Winky still thinks Mr. Crouch is her master, sir, and nothing Dobby says will persuade her that Professor Dumbledore is her master now."

"Hey, Winky," Harry said suddenly. He went over to the house-elf. "You don't know what Mr. Crouch might be up to, do you? He's stopped turning up to judge the Triwizard Tournament."

Winky looked up at Harry, and her eyes looked even larger than normal. "M-Master is stopped—_hic_—coming?" she asked.

"Yeah," Harry said, "we haven't seen him since the first task. The _Daily Prophet_'s saying he's ill."

"Master—_hic_—ill?" Winky repeated. She looked very upset.

"But we're not sure if that's true," Hermione added hastily.

"Master is needing his—_hic_—Winky!" Winky wailed. "Master cannot—_hic_—manage—_hic_—all by himself—"

"Other people manage to do their own housework, you know, Winky," Hermione pointed out.

"Winky—_hic _—is not only—_hic_—doing housework for Mr. Crouch!" Winky replied in a high voice, spilling butterbeer on herself. "Master is—_hic_—trusting Winky with—_hic_—the most important—_hic_—the most secret—"

"What?" Harry prompted, his eyes shining with excitement.

Winky shook her head, splashing more butterbeer. "Winky keeps—_hic —_her master's secrets," she said. "You is—_hic_—nosing, you is!"

"Winky must not talk like that to Harry Potter!" Dobby interrupted. "Harry Potter is brave and noble, and Harry Potter is not nosy!"

"Oh, Harry's a bit nosy, Dobby," Lucy said. Harry glared at her, and she flashed him a grin.

Winky slurred, "He is nosing—_hic_—into my master's—_hic_—private and secret—_hic_—Winky is a good house-elf—_hic_—Winky keeps her silence—_hic_—people trying to—_hic_—pry and poke—_hic_—"

Then Winky suddenly closed her eyes and fell off her stool and onto the floor. Hermione gasped, but Winky let out a loud snore. The butterbeer bottle rolled away from them, and a group of elves hurried forward. They covered Winky with a tablecloth.

"We is sorry you had to see that, sirs and misses!" a nearby elf said. "We is hoping you will not judge us all by Winky, sirs and misses!"

"She's unhappy!" Hermione exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air. "Why don't you try and cheer her up instead of covering her?"

"Begging your pardon, miss," the same house-elf said, "but house-elves has no right to be unhappy when there is work to be done and masters to be served."

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Hermione shouted. "Listen to me, all of you! You've got just as much right as wizards to be unhappy! You've got the right to wages and holidays and proper clothes! You don't have to do everything you're told—look at Dobby!"

"Miss will please keep Dobby out of this," Dobby spoke up, looking frightened.

The other elves had stopped smiling.

"We has your extra food!" An elf appeared beside Harry, shoving the food into his arms. "Good-bye!"

The house-elves began to gently push the four Gryffindors out of the kitchens.

"Thank you for the socks, Harry Potter!" Dobby said.

Then they were outside in the corridor, and the door shut behind them.

"You couldn't keep your mouth shut, could you, Hermione?" Ron asked. "They won't want us visiting them now! We could've tried to get more stuff out of Winky about Crouch!"

"Oh, as if you care about that!" Hermione shot back. "You only like coming down here for the food!"

"Enough," Lucy said, stepping between them. "Hermione, I know this is important to you, but you can't just shout at them. They don't understand it. As for Winky, I don't think she would tell us anything more about Crouch. She seems very determined to not tell any of his secrets."

**~LJ:D~**

They went back to their common room in silence and worked on homework for most of the day. Hermione and Ron had very short fuses with one another, and by the time evening came, Lucy and Harry were both sick of spending time in their company.

So, Lucy and Harry went up to the Owlery alone that night with the food for Sirius. They attached the package to Pig's leg, but found that it was too heavy for the little owl to carry alone. Lucy got a couple of the school owls to help, and the three birds took off out the window.

Lucy and Harry stood at the window, watching the owls fly away. Neither of them said anything. Lucy was sure that Harry was thinking the same thing that she was; it was nice to get away from Hermione's and Ron's bickering for a few minutes.

"Hey, look," Harry said eventually. "It's Hagrid." He pointed out the window, and Lucy saw Hagrid digging in front of his house.

"What's he doing?" Lucy asked.

"Dunno, but here comes Madam Maxime," Harry said.

Madam Maxime was walking over to Hagrid from the Beauxbatons carriage. They talked for a few minutes. Then she went back to the carriage, and Hagrid returned to digging.

"Well, back to the common room?" Lucy asked after the sky had grown dark.

"Yeah, I suppose," Harry replied, and the two of them set off for Gryffindor Tower.

**~LJ:D~**

The next morning, Hermione and Ron were back to normal, and the breakfast at the Gryffindor table was perfectly fine—they had been worried that upsetting the house-elves could have put them off their cooking. When the morning mail came, Hermione looked up eagerly.

"Percy won't've had time to answer yet," Ron said. "We only sent Hedwig yesterday."

"No, it's not that," Hermione said. "I've taken out a subscription to the _Daily Prophet_. I'm getting sick of finding everything out from the Slytherins."

"Good thinking," a voice said. Jeremy had just walked over. He smiled down at Lucy, who scooted over to let him sit next to her.

"Hey, Hermione, I think you're in luck," Harry said, pointing at an owl that was heading for Hermione.

"It hasn't got a newspaper, though," she said, frowning. "It's—" She stopped abruptly as not just one, but _seven_ owls landed in front of her.

"How many subscriptions did you take out?" Lucy asked jokingly.

Harry reached over and pulled Hermione's goblet away from the group of owls, so they wouldn't knock it over.

Hermione said, "What on earth—?" She took the letter from the first owl, opened it, and scanned it. "Oh, really!" she gasped, her cheeks flushing red.

"What's up?" Ron asked.

"It's—oh, how ridiculous," Hermione said. She showed them the letter, which had been composed of letters cut out of the _Daily Prophet_.

_You are a wicked girl. Harry Potter deserves better. Go back where you came from Muggle._

"What a coward!" Lucy scoffed, setting the letter aside.

Hermione began to open the letters the other owls had delivered. "They're all like it!" she told them. "_Harry Potter can do much better than the likes of you.… You deserve to be boiled in frog spawn._… Ouch!" She had opened another letter, and a yellowish liquid burst out of the envelope, covering her hands. Boils began to appear on her skin.

"Undiluted bubotuber pus!" Ron exclaimed, picking up the envelope carefully and sniffing the contents.

"Ow!" Hermione whimpered. Tears came to her eyes, and she tried to rub the pus off her hands with napkins. It was no use, however, as her hands were already swollen.

"You'd better get up to the hospital wing," Jeremy advised, looking concerned.

"Yeah, we'll tell Professor Sprout where you've gone," Lucy said.

Hermione got up and hurried from the Great Hall.

"I warned her!" Ron said. "I warned her not to annoy Rita Skeeter! Damn, listen to this one.…" He picked up one of the letters and recited, "_I read in _Witch Weekly_ about how you are playing Harry Potter false and that boy has had enough hardship, and I will be sending you a curse by next post as soon as I can find a big enough envelope_. Blimey, she'd better watch out for herself."

**~LJ:D~**

Hermione didn't show up for Herbology. The Gryffindors walked over to Hagrid's house after their first class to find the Slytherins leaving the castle.

When they got near, Pansy Parkinson screeched gleefully at Harry, "Potter, have you split up with your girlfriend? Why was she so upset at breakfast?"

Harry ignored her.

Jeremy hurried forward, smiling at Lucy. "Hi," he said, taking her hand in his.

"Hello," she replied.

They reached Hagrid's cabin and saw that Hagrid was standing amongst a bunch of crates. Lucy was worried for a moment that they were going to be looking after the skrewts again, but when she got near, she saw a completely different creature inside the crates. These creatures had fluffy black fur and long noses, and their front paws were flat.

"These're nifflers," Hagrid informed the class. "Yeh find 'em down mines mos'ly. They like sparkly stuff—there yeh go, look."

A niffler had jumped out of its crate and tried to bite the watch off Pansy's wrist. She screamed and leapt away from the boxes.

"Useful little treasure detectors," Hagrid continued. "Thought we'd have some fun with 'em today. See over there?" He pointed to the place where Lucy and Harry had seen him digging the night before. "I've buried some gold coins. I've got a prize fer whoever picks the niffler that digs up the mos'. Jus' take off all yer valuables, choose a niffler, an' get ready ter set 'em loose."

Lucy removed the locket necklace that had once belonged to Lily Potter and the charm bracelet that Jeremy had given to her for Christmas a few years prior. Then she picked up a niffler from the box, which began to sniff her over. She giggled.

"Hang on," Hagrid said. "There's a spare niffler here—who's missin'? Where's Hermione?"

"She had to go to the hospital wing," Ron replied.

"We'll explain later," Harry added, glaring at Pansy and her friends.

Lucy, Jeremy, Harry, and Ron took their nifflers over to the patch Hagrid directed them to. They sat on the grass and let their nifflers begin digging.

Halfway through class, Ron asked, "Can you buy these as pets, Hagrid?" His niffler was doing a very good job bringing coins back.

"Yer mum wouldn' be happy, Ron," Hagrid replied with a chuckle. "They wreck houses, nifflers. I reckon they've nearly got the lot now," he added, looking around at the collections of coins the students had. "I on'y buried a hundred coins. Oh, there y'are, Hermione!"

Lucy turned to see Hermione coming down from the castle, looking upset. Her hands were completely bandaged up.

"Well, let's check how yeh've done!" Hagrid announced to the class. "Count yer coins! And there's no point tryin' ter steal any, Goyle," he added sternly, looking at the Slytherin boy. "It's leprechaun gold. Vanishes after a few hours."

Goyle unloaded his pockets, looking surly.

After everyone counted their totals, Ron ended up having the most. Hagrid presented him with a chunk of chocolate from Honeydukes as a prize. The bell rang for lunch, but Lucy, Jeremy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione stayed back to help Hagrid put the nifflers away.

"Wha' yeh done ter yer hands, Hermione?" Hagrid asked immediately.

Hermione told him about the mail she'd received.

"Aaah, don' worry," Hagrid said when she'd finished. "I got some o' those letters an' all after Rita Skeeter wrote abou' me mum. _Yeh're a monster, an' yeh should be put down_—_Yer mother killed innocent people, an' if you had any decency, yeh'd jump in a lake_."

"No!" Lucy and Hermione gasped at the same time.

"Yeah," Hagrid said, nodding his head. "They're just nutters, Hermione. Don' open 'em if yeh get any more. Chuck 'em straigh' in the fire."

Hermione nodded her understanding.

**~LJ:D~**

They finished helping Hagrid, and then the five of them headed back up to the castle.

"You missed a really good lesson," Harry informed Hermione as they walked back up the lawn. "They're good, nifflers, aren't they, Ron?" Ron didn't answer, looking upset, and Harry asked him, "What's the matter? Wrong flavor?"

"No," Ron replied. "Why didn't you tell me about the gold?"

"What gold?" Harry asked.

"The gold I gave you at the Quidditch World Cup," Ron said. "The leprechaun gold I gave you for my Omnioculars. In the Top Box. Why didn't you tell me it disappeared?"

Harry looked confused for a moment. "Oh," he said. "I dunno.… I never noticed it had gone. I was more worried about my wand, wasn't I?"

They continued into the castle and the Great Hall in silence.

"Must be nice," Ron commented when they sat down, "to have so much money that you don't notice if a pocketful of Galleons goes missing."

"Listen, I had other stuff on my mind that night!" Harry said. "We all did, remember?"

Lucy took Jeremy's hand under the table and squeezed it. She knew that Jeremy didn't like to think about what had happened after the Quidditch World Cup, and she didn't blame him.

"I didn't know leprechaun gold vanishes," Ron grumbled. "I thought I was paying you back. You shouldn't've given me that Chudley Cannon hat for Christmas."

"Forget it, all right?" Harry said.

Ron stabbed at the food on his plate. "I hate being poor," he muttered darkly. The others didn't know how to respond to him as he continued, "It's fucking rubbish. I don't blame Fred and George for trying to make some extra money. Wish I could. Wish I had a niffler."

"Well, we know what to get you next Christmas," Lucy said teasingly, but Ron still looked downcast.

"Come on, Ron. It could be worse," Hermione said. "At least your fingers aren't full of pus." She was having a difficult time using her silverware. "I_ hate_ that Skeeter woman!" she said angrily. "I'll get her back for this if it's the last thing I do!"

**~LJ:D~**

Throughout the week, Hermione continued to receive hate letters in the mail. She took Hagrid's advice and started to throw the letters away. Some readers, however, sent Howlers, which blew up if they went unopened. This led to a lot of exploding envelopes sending screams of insults at Hermione over breakfast. The love triangle between Hermione, Harry, and Krum was the top gossip, and Harry was constantly telling people that Hermione was not his girlfriend.

"It'll die down, though," he told Hermione one morning at breakfast, "if we just ignore it.… People got bored with that stuff she wrote about me last time—"

"I want to know how she's listening to private conversations when she's supposed to be banned from the grounds!" Hermione insisted.

At the end of Defense Against the Dark Arts class later that week, Hermione stayed behind to ask Professor Moody a question. The rest of the class were happy to leave the room. That day, Moody had been testing them on hex-deflections, and most of the class were sporting some minor injuries.

Hermione caught up to the others a few minutes later. "Well, Rita's definitely not using an Invisibility Cloak," she reported. "Moody says he didn't see her anywhere near the judges' table or the lake at the second task!"

"Hermione, is there any point in telling you to drop this?" Ron asked.

"No!" Hermione snapped. "I want to know how she heard me talking to Viktor, _and_ how she found out about Hagrid's mum!"

"Maybe she had you bugged," Harry suggested.

"Bugged?" Ron repeated, confused. "What—put fleas on her or something?"

Harry started to explain to Ron about how Muggles could use secret microphones and recording equipment to overhear conversations, and Ron looked very intrigued.

"Aren't you two _ever_ going to read _Hogwarts, A History_?" Hermione asked exasperatedly.

"What's the point?" Ron shot back. "You know it by heart. We can just ask you."

Lucy rolled her eyes.

"All those substitutes for magic Muggles use—electricity, computers, radar, and all those things—they all go haywire around Hogwarts," Hermione explained. "There's too much magic in the air. No, Rita's using magic to eavesdrop. She must be.… If I could just find out what it is—ooh, if it's illegal, I'll have her—"

"Haven't we got enough to worry about?" Ron asked. "Do we _really_ have to start a vendetta against Rita Skeeter, as well?"

"I'm not asking you to help!" Hermione said curtly. "I'll do it on my own!" She stalked away.

"'Mione!" Lucy called after her, but Hermione didn't turn around. Lucy scoffed, "Nice going, Ron."

"What d'you bet she comes back with a box of _I Hate Rita Skeeter_ badges?" Ron asked, and Lucy flicked him in the ear.

**~LJ:D~**

The year continued, and the Easter holidays came and went in a flash. After the holidays, Hedwig returned with an answer from Percy and a package of Easter eggs from Mrs. Weasley. Lucy, Harry, and Ron each got an Easter egg that was as big as a dragon's, but Hermione's egg was as small as a chicken's.

"Your mum doesn't read _Witch Weekly_ by any chance, does she, Ron?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah," Ron replied. "Gets it for the recipes."

"Don't you want to see what Percy's written?" Harry asked, distracting Hermione from her egg.

_As I am constantly telling the _Daily Prophet_, Mr. Crouch is taking a well-deserved break. He is sending in regular owls with instructions. No, I haven't actually seen him, but I think I can be trusted to know my own superior's handwriting. I have quite enough to do at the moment without trying to quash these ridiculous rumors. Please don't bother me again unless it's something important. Happy Easter._

"Well, that was cheerful," Lucy muttered.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: Originally, this chapter and the next were one. I split it up because it was just a bit too long for my taste.**_


	22. 22: Disappearance

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 22 – Disappearance**

Halfway through May, Harry was finally summoned with the other champions to find out what the third task would be. Lucy, Hermione, and Ron waited up for him in the common room.

It was quite a while before Harry returned to the tower—so long that there was nobody left in the common room but his friends. He looked pale, and his eyes were wide.

"Harry?" Lucy asked, alarmed.

Harry hurried over to them and flopped into an empty chair.

"What's the third task?" Hermione asked anxiously.

"It's a maze," Harry replied. "It's being set up on the Quidditch pitch."

"That doesn't seem too bad," Ron said.

"No, but listen to this," Harry said, leaning forward. "Afterwards, Krum wanted a word. He asked me if anything was going on between Hermione and I, and I told him there wasn't. We were near the forest, and suddenly Mr. Crouch appeared."

"_Crouch_?" Lucy repeated. "What was he doing in the forest?"

"I dunno," Harry replied. "He was talking to a tree like it was Percy, giving him instructions. It's like he didn't even realize he was in the middle of the forest. Then he snapped out of it, and he kept saying that he needed to talk to Dumbledore, and that Dumbledore had to be warned about something. So I left Krum with him and went up to Dumbledore's office. Snape tried to stop me from seeing Dumbledore, but Dumbledore came down from his office and had me take him outside. We went back out to the forest, but Crouch had disappeared, and someone had Stunned Krum from behind."

"_What_?" Hermione gasped.

"Then Hagrid showed up," Harry continued. "Dumbledore had him go and get Karkaroff. Then Moody showed up and began looking in the trees for Crouch. Hagrid came back with Karkaroff, who thought that someone was trying to curse his champion on purpose and insulted Dumbledore, and that's when Dumbledore had Hagrid take me back up to the castle."

There was silence.

"You need to write to Sirius about this," Hermione spoke up eventually.

"I can't," Harry replied. "Dumbledore asked me to stay in the tower and wait until tomorrow to send any owls."

"In that case, we better get some sleep," Lucy said. "We can get up early tomorrow to send Sirius a letter."

The others agreed, and they all went up to their respective dormitories.

**~LJ:D~**

Early the next morning, as promised, the four of them met in the common room. They went up to the Owlery, hoping to avoid the rest of the student body. Harry picked one of the school owls and tied the letter to its leg. The owl flew off, and the four Gryffindors began to talk about what had happened.

"It comes down to this," Hermione said. "Either Mr. Crouch attacked Viktor, or somebody else attacked both of them when Viktor wasn't looking."

"It must've been Crouch," Ron said. "That's why he was gone when Harry and Dumbledore got there. He'd done a runner."

"I don't think so," Harry said. "He seemed really weak—I don't reckon he was up to Disapparating or anything."

"You _can't_ Disapparate on the Hogwarts grounds," Hermione said impatiently. "Haven't I told you enough times?"

"Do you think he could have gotten away on foot?" Lucy asked. "It seems like he would have had a decent head start, what with you getting sidetracked by Snape."

"I still don't think he'd have gotten very far," Harry said doubtfully.

"Okay—how's this for a theory," Ron began. "Krum attacked Crouch—no, wait for it—and then Stunned himself!"

"And Mr. Crouch evaporated, did he?" Hermione said, narrowing her eyes at Ron.

"Oh, yeah…" Ron said.

"Just go through it again, Harry," Hermione suggested. "What did Mr. Crouch actually say?"

"I've told you, he wasn't making much sense," Harry replied wearily. "He said he wanted to warn Dumbledore about something. He definitely mentioned Bertha Jorkins, and he seemed to think she was dead. He kept saying stuff was his fault.… He mentioned his son."

"Well, that _was_ his fault," Lucy pointed out.

"He was out of his mind," Harry continued, frowning in concentration. "Half the time he seemed to think his wife and son were still alive, and he kept talking to Percy about work and giving him instructions."

"And—remind me what he said about You-Know-Who?" Ron asked.

"I've told you," Harry replied. "He said he's getting stronger."

There was a moment of silence.

"But he was out of his mind, like you said," Ron said hopefully, "so half of it was probably just raving—"

"He was sanest when he was trying to talk about Voldemort," Harry cut in. "He was having real trouble stringing two words together, but that was when he seemed to know where he was and what he wanted to do. He just kept saying he had to see Dumbledore." He looked up at the ceiling, thinking for a minute, before saying, "If Snape hadn't held me up, we might've got there in time. _The headmaster is busy Potter—what's this rubbish, Potter?_ Why couldn't he have just got out of the way?"

"Maybe he didn't want you to get there!" Ron exclaimed. "Maybe—hang on—how fast d'you reckon he could've gotten down to the forest? D'you reckon he could've beaten you and Dumbledore there?"

"Not unless he can turn himself into a bat or something," Harry said.

"Wouldn't put it past him," Ron remarked.

"We need to see Professor Moody," Hermione said. "We need to find out whether he found Mr. Crouch."

"If he had the Marauder's Map on him, it would've been easy," Harry said.

"Unless Crouch was already outside the grounds," Lucy added, "because it only shows up to the boundaries, doesn't it?"

"Shh!" Hermione hissed suddenly, waving her hands at the others.

There were voices coming up the stairs to the Owlery, arguing.

"—that's blackmail, that is," one voice said—it was very familiar to Lucy. "We could get into a lot of trouble for that—"

"We've tried being polite," an identical-sounding voice answered. "It's time to play dirty, like him. He wouldn't like the Ministry of Magic knowing what he did—"

"I'm telling you, if you put that in writing, it's fucking blackmail!" the first voice insisted.

"Yeah, and you won't be complaining if we get a nice fat payoff, will you?" the second voice asked.

The door to the Owlery opened, and Lucy and her friends came face to face with Fred and George. The twins stopped short, staring at the others.

"What're you doing here?" Ron and Fred both asked.

"Sending a letter," Harry and George answered.

"What, at this time?" Hermione and Fred asked.

Lucy shook her head.

"Fine—we won't ask you what you're doing, if you don't ask us," Fred suggested. He was carrying an envelope in his hand, but he was covering up the name written on it. "Well, don't let us hold you up," Fred added, bowing to them.

"Who're you blackmailing?" Ron demanded, not moving.

Fred stopped smiling, and he exchanged a glance with George.

"Don't be stupid," George said. "I was only joking."

"Didn't sound like that," Ron said stubbornly.

Fred and George looked at each other again.

"Ron, leave them alone," Lucy said gently.

"Yeah, listen to Lucy," Fred said. "I've told you before, Ron, keep your nose out of it if you like the shape it is. Can't see why you would, but—"

"It's my business if you're blackmailing someone," Ron interrupted. "George is right. You could end up in serious trouble for that."

"Told you, I was joking," George said. He took the letter from his twin and began to attach it to one of the school owl's legs. "You're starting to sound a bit like our dear older brother, you are, Ron," he went on. "Carry on like this, and you'll be made a prefect."

"No, I won't!" Ron snapped.

George finished with the owl and let it go out the window. Then he turned and smiled at his younger brother, saying, "Well, stop telling people what to do then. See you later." He and Fred left, shutting the door behind them.

"You don't think they know something about all this, do you?" Hermione asked quietly. "About Crouch and everything?"

"No," Lucy said firmly.

"If it was something that serious, they'd tell someone," Harry added. "They'd tell Dumbledore."

Ron made a face.

"What's the matter?" Hermione asked.

"Well…" Ron said, frowning, "I dunno if they would. They're—they're obsessed with making money lately. I noticed it when I was hanging around with them—when—you know—"

"We weren't talking," Harry finished for him. "Yeah, but _blackmail_—"

"It's this joke shop idea they've got," Ron explained. "I thought they were only saying it to annoy Mum, but they really mean it. They want to start one. They've only got a year left at Hogwarts, and they keep going on about how it's time to think about their future. And since Dad can't help them, they need gold to get started."

"Yes, but—they wouldn't do anything against the law to get gold," Lucy said uncertainly.

"Wouldn't they?" Ron said. "I dunno—they don't exactly _mind_ breaking the rules, do they?"

"Yes, but this is the _law_," Hermione pointed out. "This isn't some silly school rule.… They'll get a lot more than detention for blackmail! Ron—maybe you'd better tell Percy—"

"Are you mad?" Ron asked. "Tell Percy? He'd probably do a Crouch and turn them in." He glanced out the window for a moment before saying, "Come on—let's get some breakfast."

The four of them exited the Owlery and headed down the spiral staircase.

"D'you think it's too early to go and see Professor Moody?" Hermione asked.

"Yes," Harry said promptly. "He'd probably blast us through the door if we wake him at the crack of dawn; he'll think we're trying to attack him while he's asleep. Let's give it 'til break."

**~LJ:D~**

After breakfast, the Gryffindor fourth-years had History of Magic. The class was usually boring, but with the little amount of sleep Lucy got the night before, it was almost impossible to make it through without taking a nap.

When the bell finally rang, she followed Harry, Ron, and Hermione down to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class. Professor Moody was just leaving the room when they reached it.

"Professor Moody?" Harry asked as they approached him.

"Hello, Potter," Moody replied. He looked at them with his normal eye, while his magical eye watched the students in the hallway. He beckoned the four of them into his classroom, saying, "Come in here."

They walked inside, and Moody shut the door behind them.

"Did you find him?" Harry asked at once. "Mr. Crouch?"

"No," Moody replied. He hobbled over to his desk, sat down, and pulled out his personal flask.

"Did you use the map?" Harry questioned.

"Of course," Moody replied, taking a swig from the flask. "Took a leaf out of your book, Potter. Summoned it from my office into the forest. He wasn't anywhere on there."

"So he _did_ Disapparate, then?" Ron asked.

"_You can't Disapparate on the grounds, Ron_!" Hermione said exasperatedly. "But there are other ways he could have disappeared, aren't there, Professor?"

Moody looked at her thoughtfully. "You're another one who might think about a career as an Auror," he said. "Mind works the right way, Granger."

Hermione blushed but looked pleased.

"Well, he wasn't invisible," Harry said. "The map shows invisible people. He must've left the grounds, then."

"But under his own steam?" Hermione asked. "Or because someone made him?"

"Yeah, someone could've—could've pulled him onto a broom and flown off with him, couldn't they?" Ron added, glancing at Moody hopefully.

"We can't rule out kidnap," Moody agreed, nodding.

"Do you think he's somewhere in Hogsmeade?" Lucy asked.

"Could be anywhere," Moody replied. "Only thing we know for sure is that he's not here." He yawned and then continued, "Now, Dumbledore's told me you four fancy yourselves as investigators, but there's nothing you can do for Crouch. The Ministry'll be looking for him now; Dumbledore's notified them. Potter, you just keep your mind on the third task."

"What?" Harry said. "Oh, yeah.…"

"Should be right up your street, this one," Moody commented. "From what Dumbledore's said, you've managed to get through stuff like this plenty of times. Broke your way through a series of obstacles guarding the Philosopher's Stone in your first year, didn't you?"

"We helped," Ron piped up. "Hermione, Lucy, and I helped."

Moody smiled. "Well, help him practice for this one, and I'll be very surprised if he doesn't win," he said. "In the meantime… constant vigilance, Potter. Constant vigilance." He took a drink from his flask again and then added, "You three—you stick close to Potter, all right? I'm keeping an eye on things, but all the same… you can never have too many eyes out."

**~LJ:D~**

The very next morning, Harry got an answer from Sirius.

Hermione also got a copy of the _Daily Prophet_, which she began looking through immediately. "Ha! She hasn't got wind of Crouch!" she exclaimed.

Harry, meanwhile, opened his letter, read it, and handed it across the table for Lucy and Hermione to read.

_Harry—what do you think you are playing at, walking off into the forest with Viktor Krum? I want you to swear, by return owl, that you are not going to go walking with anyone else at night. There is somebody highly dangerous at Hogwarts. It is clear to me that they wanted to stop Crouch from seeing Dumbledore, and you were probably feet away from them in the dark. You could have been killed._

_Your name didn't get into the Goblet of Fire by accident. If someone's trying to attack you, they're on their last chance. Stay close to Lucy, Ron, and Hermione, do not leave Gryffindor Tower after hours, and arm yourself for the third task. Practice Stunning and Disarming. A few hexes wouldn't go amiss, either. There's nothing you can do about Crouch. Keep your head down and look after yourself. I'm waiting for your letter giving me your word you won't stray out-of-bounds again._

_Sirius_

"Who's he, to lecture me about being out-of-bounds?" Harry hissed as he took the letter back. "After all the stuff he did at school!"

"When he was at school, nobody was out to _kill_ him," Lucy pointed out.

"He's worried about you!" Hermione added. "Just like Moody and Hagrid! So _listen_ _to_ _them_!"

"No one's tried to attack me all year," Harry replied. "No one's done anything to me at all—"

"Except put your name in the Goblet of Fire," Hermione shot back. "They must've done that for a reason, Harry. Snuffles is right. Maybe they've been biding their time. Maybe this is the task they're going to get you."

"Yeah, maybe they've been waiting so you'll think that nothing's going to happen," Lucy agreed.

"Look," Harry started, "let's say Siri—"

"Snuffles!" Lucy corrected quickly.

"Let's say _Snuffles_ is right," Harry said, rolling his eyes at Lucy, "and someone Stunned Krum to kidnap Crouch. Well, they _would've_ been in the trees near us, wouldn't they? But they waited 'til I was out of the way until they acted, didn't they? So it doesn't look like I'm their target, does it?"

"They couldn't have made it look like an accident if they'd murdered you in the forest!" Hermione said. "But if you die during a task—"

"They didn't care about attacking Krum, did they?" Harry pointed out.

"They're probably not trying to _kill_ Krum," Lucy said.

"Still, why didn't they just polish me off at the same time?" Harry insisted. "They could've made it look like Krum and I had a duel or something."

"Harry, I don't understand it, either," Hermione said gently. "I just know there are a lot of odd things going on, and I don't like it.… Moody's right—Snuffles is right—you've got to get in training for the third task, straight away. You make sure you write back to Snuffles and promise him you're not going to go sneaking off alone again."

"I wasn't sneaking," Harry muttered.

"Just write to him!" Lucy insisted, and Harry grudgingly agreed.

**~LJ:D~**

Lucy, Ron, and Hermione began helping Harry practice for the final task every day when they had the opportunity. They spent all their free time in the library looking up hexes and charms, or in empty classrooms so Harry could practice. Unfortunately, _practice_ meant that Harry was usually hexing Lucy, Ron, or Hermione.

"Can't we kidnap Mrs. Norris?" Ron asked after being Stunned by Harry for the fifth time. It was Monday, and they were in the empty Charms classroom during their lunch hour. "Let's Stun her for a bit," Ron went on. "Or you could use Dobby, Harry. I bet he'd do anything to help you. I'm not complaining or anything—"

"Could've fooled us," Lucy muttered to Hermione, who giggled.

"—but I'm aching all over," Ron finished, rubbing his back.

"Well, you keep missing the cushions, don't you?" Hermione insisted. She bunched up the pile of cushions they'd found in a cabinet in the classroom. "Just try and fall backward!"

"Once you're Stunned, you can't aim too well, Hermione!" Ron shot back. "Why don't you or Lucy take a turn?"

"Well, I think Harry's got it now, anyway," Hermione said hurriedly. "And we don't have to worry about Disarming, because he's been able to do that for ages.… I think we ought to start on some of these hexes this evening." She consulted a list that they had made in the library. "I like the look of this one: this Impediment Curse. Should slow down anything that's trying to attack you, Harry. We'll start with that one."

They were interrupted by the ringing bell. After quickly cleaning up the cushions, Lucy and Hermione parted ways with the boys.

"See you at dinner!" Hermione called as the boys set off for Divination. She and Lucy went to their Arithmancy class.

**~LJ:D~**

Arithmancy was a favorite of both Lucy's and Hermione's, and so when the double-hour class was finished, they went cheerfully off to dinner. When they got to the Great Hall, they found Ron sitting alone at the Gryffindor table.

"Where's Harry?" Lucy asked as she and Hermione took a seat at the table.

"He fell asleep in Divination," Ron explained in a low voice. "He fell out of his chair and onto the floor, clutching his scar. When he woke up, he said it was nothing, that it was just a headache. He left for the hospital wing and never came back to class. I was hoping he'd be down here.…"

Lucy and Hermione looked at him, bewildered. "Clutching his scar?" Lucy repeated. "I hope he's all right!"

"I'm sure he'll be fine," Ron replied.

The three of them finished their dinner and—when there was still no sign of Harry—went back up to their common room to get some of their homework finished.

**~LJ:D~**

Finally, Harry entered the common room. He spotted his friends and hurried over to them.

He began to tell them about everything that had happened since he'd left Professor Trelawney's classroom. He told them about going up to Dumbledore's office and overhearing the conversation between the professor, Fudge, and Moody. Then he told them about the Pensieve and how he had gone into it to see Dumbledore's memories of a few different court cases. He finished by telling them what Dumbledore had said after pulling him out of the Pensieve, and then reassured them that he had written about everything in a letter to Sirius, which is why he hadn't shown up to dinner.

The four of them stayed up for hours, dissecting every bit of what Harry had told them until they were they only four left in the common room.

"Dumbledore reckons You-Know-Who's getting stronger, as well?" Ron finally asked in a hushed voice. "And he trusts Snape? He _really_ trusts Snape, even though he knows he was a Death Eater?"

"Yes," Harry replied.

Lucy and Hermione didn't say anything. Hermione in particular looked like she was thinking hard about something. "Rita Skeeter," she finally whispered.

"How can you be worrying about her now?" Ron asked incredulously.

"I'm not worrying about her," Hermione answered. "I'm just thinking—remember what she said to me in the Three Broomsticks? _I know things about Ludo Bagman that would make your hair curl._ This is what she meant, isn't it? She reported his trial. She knew he'd passed information to the Death Eaters. Winky, too, remember—_Ludo Bagman's a bad wizard._ Mr. Crouch would have been furious he got off. He would have talked about it at home."

"Yeah, but Bagman didn't pass information on purpose, did he?" Harry pointed out.

"As far as anyone knows," Lucy said with a shrug. "And Fudge thinks _Madam Maxime_ attacked Crouch?"

"Yeah," Harry replied, "but he's only saying that because Crouch disappeared near the Beauxbatons carriage."

"We never thought of her, though, did we?" Ron asked. "Mind you, she's definitely got giant blood, and she doesn't want to admit it—"

"Of _course_ she doesn't," Hermione said. "Look what happened to Hagrid when Rita found out about his mother. Look at Fudge, jumping to conclusions about her, just because she's part giant. Who needs that sort of prejudice? I'd probably say I had big bones if I knew that's what I'd get for telling the truth."

She looked at her watched and gasped, "We haven't done any practicing! We were going to do the Impediment Curse! We'll have to really get down to it tomorrow! Come on, Harry. You need to get some sleep."

With that, they headed off to their respectful dormitories, heads full of everything they'd learned that night. Oddly enough, Lucy found her mind drifting to thoughts of Jeremy. With all this talk of You-Know-Who getting stronger, she couldn't help wondering what would happen if he ever did come back to power. Would Jeremy's father go back to being a Death Eater? Would Jeremy be in danger? Would he decide to follow his father after all?

Lucy had difficulty falling asleep that night.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: Lucy correcting her friends when they start to say Sirius instead of Snuffles is a common theme that you'll see in the rest of the story and the next one.**_

_**Also, the worries that Lucy has that Jeremy might change his mind and follow in his father's footsteps is something that comes up a few times after this, as well.**_


	23. 23: The Waiting Game

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 23 – The Waiting Game**

Exams were quickly approaching. Being one of the Hogwarts champions, Harry would not be taking any of his exams. He was busy practicing for the third task, and Lucy, Hermione, and Ron were assisting him in any way they could.

"Are you sure you want to be helping me?" Harry asked them one day. "I can practice on my own if you need to study for exams."

"Don't worry about it," Hermione said immediately. "At least we'll get top marks in Defense Against the Dark Arts. We'd never have found out about all these hexes in class."

"Good training for when we're all Aurors," Ron added, grinning as he cast the Impediment Curse on a wasp.

"Who says we're all going to be Aurors?" Lucy demanded.

"What—you don't want to be one?" Ron asked.

"There are a lot of other careers to pursue other than being an Auror," Lucy said. "I'd like to keep my options open."

**~LJ:D~**

As they entered June, the students in the castle were beginning to get excited for the final task. They were having trouble concentrating on their exams, which would conclude on the day of the third task.

Harry seemed to be a lot more confident about the upcoming task than he had about the first two. Professor McGonagall was letting them practice in her empty classroom at lunchtime, having grown tired of walking in on the four Gryffindors in various rooms all over the school. Harry had mastered multiple charms and hexes during their practices, but found himself having trouble casting a Shield Charm. One day while they were practicing, Hermione hit him with a Jelly-Legs Jinx, which easily made it through Harry's Shield Charm and made him wobble around the room for a few minutes while Hermione looked up the counter-jinx.

"You're still doing really well, though," Lucy said encouragingly when Harry regained the use of his legs. She watched as Hermione checked over her list of spells.

"Some of these are bound to come in handy," Hermione added, smiling.

"Come and look at this," Ron called suddenly. He was standing by the window, staring out onto the grounds. "What's Malfoy doing?" he asked.

Lucy, Hermione, and Harry went over to stand next to him. They could see Malfoy standing underneath a tree, with Crabbe and Goyle flanking him, as usual. He was holding one cupped hand up to his mouth and was talking to it.

"He looks like he's using a walkie-talkie," Harry remarked.

"He can't be," Hermione replied. "I've told you: those sorts of things don't work around Hogwarts. Come on, Harry. Let's try that Shield Charm again."

Harry reluctantly turned from the window and followed Hermione to the center of the room, but Lucy and Ron stayed at the window.

"Crabbe and Goyle look awfully pleased about something," Lucy murmured.

"What's a walkie-talkie?" Ron asked.

"Do you remember when you tried to call Harry on the telephone two summers ago?" Lucy asked him, and Ron nodded. "A walkie-talkie is sort of like that. You have one and someone else has another one, and you can talk back and forth through them."

Ron started, "But since they're Muggle technology—"

"They wouldn't work, because the magic in the air around here would interfere," Lucy finished for him, nodding. "So, what's Malfoy doing, talking to his hand like that?"

She and Ron watched Malfoy for a few more minutes before Hermione called them over to help her and Harry.

**~LJ:D~**

The week of final exams began, and Lucy, Hermione, and Ron finally had to let Harry practice on his own, so they could study. The week went by fairly quickly, and soon the morning of the last day of exams and the third task had arrived.

Lucy joined Harry, Ron, and Hermione in the Great Hall for breakfast. The entire hall was buzzing with excitement. Harry got a good luck note from Sirius via owl post, and Hermione got her copy of the _Daily Prophet_. She took a swig of juice as she opened the paper and promptly spat her drink out.

"What?" Harry and Ron asked, looking at her in bewilderment.

"Are you okay?" Lucy added.

"Yes—it's nothing," Hermione replied, trying to fold the paper up and put it away.

Ron snatched it out of her hands and scanned the front page. Lucy leaned over to see what it was. Sure enough, there was a new article from Rita Skeeter about Harry.

"No," Ron said, looking upset. "No way. Not today. That old _cow_."

"What?" Harry asked. "Rita Skeeter again?"

Lucy pulled the paper out of Ron's hands and shoved it under the table. "No," she said.

"It's about me, isn't it?" Harry sighed.

"No," Ron repeated.

"Hey, Potter!" Malfoy had stood up from the Slytherin table and was shouting across the hall. "_Potter_! How's your head? You feeling all right? Sure you're not going to go berserk on us?" He waved the paper in Harry's direction, and his friends laughed loudly.

"Let me see it," Harry demanded. Lucy shook her head, and Harry said, "Give it _here_."

Lucy exchanged a glance with Ron before handing the paper to Harry over the table. He began to read the article.

When he finished a few minutes later, he calmly folded the paper up and gave it back to Hermione. "Gone off me a bit, hasn't she?" he commented.

"How did she know your scar hurt in Divination?" Ron asked. "There's no way she was there. There's no way she could've heard—"

"The window was open," Harry said. "I opened it to breathe."

"You were at the top of North Tower!" Hermione pointed out indignantly. "Your voice couldn't have carried all the way down to the grounds!"

"Well, you're the one who's supposed to be researching magical methods of bugging!" Harry replied. "You tell me how she did it!"

"I've been trying!" Hermione snapped. "But I—but—" A faraway look had appeared on her face. She ran her hand through her hair.

"Are you all right?" Ron asked.

"Yes," Hermione answered. She held her hand up to her mouth, like they had seen Malfoy doing on the grounds during one of their practice sessions. The others watched her in confusion, and she finally said, "I've had an idea. I think I know—because then no one would be able to see—even Moody—and she'd have been able to get onto the window ledge—but she's not allowed—she's _definitely_ not allowed—I think we've got her! Just give me two seconds in the library—just to make sure!" She jumped up and ran from the hall.

"We have History of Magic in ten minutes!" Lucy yelled after her.

"Blimey," Ron said, shaking his head, "she must really hate that Skeeter woman to risk missing the start of an exam. What're you going to do in Binn's class—read again?"

Since Harry wasn't taking exams, he'd had to find other ways to entertain himself. Mostly he'd spent his time reading. "S'ppose so," he said.

They were finishing up their meal when Professor McGonagall came over to them. "Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the hall after breakfast," she explained to Harry.

"But the task's not 'til tonight!" Harry said, dropping a forkful of eggs into his lap.

"I'm aware of that, Potter," Professor McGonagall said, raising her eyebrows at him. "The champions' families are invited to watch the final task, you know. This is simply a chance for you to greet them."

She walked away, and Harry looked back at Ron and Lucy with wide eyes. "She doesn't expect the Dursleys to turn up, does she?" he asked.

"Dunno," Ron replied.

Lucy picked up Ron's wrist and looked at the watch there. She didn't have her own watch, so she always had to resort to looking at her friends'. "Ron, we need to get going," she reported. "We're going to be late for History of Magic. We'll see you later, Harry." She got up from the table and swung her bag over her shoulder.

"Good luck," Ron added, and the two of them left for their first exam.

**~LJ:D~**

Lucy and Ron got to the classroom with a few minutes to spare, and Hermione showed up just before the exam began. Harry, however, never came to class. Lucy wondered if maybe his Muggle relatives had shown up after all.

After their exam, Hermione went back off to the library, and Lucy and Ron went down to the Great Hall for lunch. There they found Harry sitting with two guests.

"Mum—Bill!" Ron exclaimed. "What're you doing here?"

"We came to watch Harry in the last task!" Mrs. Weasley replied. "I must say, it makes a lovely change, not having to cook. Hello, Lucy, dear."

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley," Lucy said, smiling. "Hey, Bill." She and Ron took their seats at the table.

"How was your exam?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking pointedly at her youngest son.

"Oh… okay," Ron replied. "I couldn't remember all the goblin rebels' names, so I invented a few. It's all right," he added quickly when Mrs. Weasley frowned at him. "They're all called stuff like Bodrod the Bearded and Urg the Unclean; it wasn't hard."

Lucy shook her head. "Maybe if you'd studied a bit more last night, you would've remembered all their names," she teased.

Fred, George, and Ginny joined them soon after. George sat down next to Lucy; the awkwardness between the two of them had finally passed, and they were back to being close friends.

"So, how was the Yule Ball?" Mrs. Weasley asked, looking at Lucy and George expectantly.

Lucy sighed and turned to George. "You didn't tell her, did you?" she asked, and George shook his head, looking a bit guilty.

"Lucy's dating a Slytherin!" Fred exclaimed before his twin could say anything.

"Wow," Lucy said. "Thanks, Fred. Way to break the ice with that one."

"You were having trouble saying it," Fred replied, grinning mischievously. "I'm only here to help."

Lucy buried her head in her arms, feeling embarrassed.

"Look, I fancied Lucy, but she thought we were going to the ball as friends," George explained. "Now we're just friends, and everything's fine."

"So, who is this Slytherin?" Bill asked.

Lucy groaned and picked her head up from her arms. "Do you have to do the embarrassing older brother routine right now?" she complained. Bill smirked, and Lucy shook her head. She looked over at the Slytherin table and spotted Jeremy sitting with Daphne and Jake. "I'll be right back," she said, and she got up and went over to the Slytherin table.

"This is a first," Jeremy said, smiling. "Are you going to join _us_ today?"

"Actually, Mrs. Weasley and Ron's oldest brother Bill are here to watch Harry in the last task," Lucy said. "They want to meet you. They're basically my extended family—so could you please come over and meet them?"

"Yeah, I s'ppose I could do that," Jeremy replied. Then, looking at his friends, he added, "I'll see you later."

"Thanks," Lucy added.

Daphne waved a hand at them, and she and Jake went back to eating their lunch.

Jeremy followed Lucy back to the Gryffindor table, and Lucy introduced him to Mrs. Weasley and Bill.

"Whitlock?" Bill asked as Jeremy sat down.

"Yeah," Jeremy replied slowly. "I'm assuming you've heard of my family." Bill nodded, and Jeremy stated flatly, "Well, I want to make it clear that I don't agree with most of my family's viewpoints."

There was an awkward silence, so Lucy filled it by asking, "So, Harry, are you ready for the third task?"

They talked about the final task for a while, and about halfway through lunch, Hermione joined them.

Harry started, "Are you going to tell us—?"

Hermione shook her head.

"Hello, Hermione," Mrs. Weasley greeted coldly, and Lucy frowned.

"Hello," Hermione replied, her smile falling from her face.

Harry looked between Hermione and Mrs. Weasley. "Mrs. Weasley, you didn't believe that rubbish Rita Skeeter wrote in _Witch Weekly_, did you?" he asked. "Hermione's not my girlfriend."

"Oh!" Mrs. Weasley gasped. "No—of course I didn't!"

Lucy exchanged a knowing glance with Ginny, and Mrs. Weasley went back to being pleasant to Hermione.

**~LJ:D~**

After lunch, everyone parted ways again. Lucy, Hermione, and Ron had one last exam to sit. The exam seemed to take longer than any of their other ones, but finally they had finished, and it was time for dinner.

Since it was the night of the final task, their regular dinner was replaced by a moderate feast. Bagman and Fudge—who was taking Crouch's place as the fifth judge—had arrived. There was an abundance of wonderful foods and multiple courses. Everyone ate quite a bit—except for, Lucy noticed, Harry.

Night slowly fell outside, and Dumbledore eventually got to his feet. The hall grew quiet.

"Ladies and gentlemen, in five minutes' time, I will be asking you to make your way down to the Quidditch pitch for the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament. Will the champions please follow Mr. Bagman down to the stadium now?"

Harry stood up, and Lucy quickly gave him a hug for good luck. The others around them also wished him luck, and Harry headed for the entrance hall. The Gryffindor table applauded him out.

"Five minutes," Dumbledore repeated, beaming around the crowd.

Lucy finished up her dessert, and soon enough, Dumbledore was directing them to go down to the Quidditch pitch. Lucy went with the Weasleys, Hermione, and Jeremy. A lantern-lit walkway led the crowd to the Quidditch stadium. Lucy and the others took their seats in the stands.

The field on the pitch had been transformed. There was a twenty-foot hedge going all the way around the pitch, with a narrow walkway between it and the stands.

"We won't be able to see anything," Jeremy pointed out. "All we can see is this outside hedge. Unless it's going to go away?"

Lucy shrugged.

When everyone was in place, Bagman's voice came booming over the crowd, just as it had the past two tasks. "Ladies and gentlemen, the third and final task of the Triwizard Tournament is about to begin!" he announced. "Let me remind you how the points currently stand! Tied in first place, with eighty-five points each—Mr. Cedric Diggory and Mr. Harry Potter, both of Hogwarts School!"

Lucy, Jeremy, Hermione, and the Weasleys cheered.

"In second place," Bagman continued, "with eighty points—Mr. Viktor Krum, of Durmstrang Institute!"

The crowd applauded again.

"And in third place—Miss Fleur Delacour, of Beauxbatons Academy!"

Harry looked up from where he was standing with the other champions. He waved to his friends, and Lucy and the others waved back.

"So—on my whistle, Harry and Cedric!" Bagman said. "Three—two—one—!"

He blew on his whistle, and Harry and Cedric stepped into the maze. A few minutes later, Bagman blew his whistle again, and Krum entered the maze. After another few minutes, Bagman blew his whistle for a third time, and Fleur marched inside.

"And now we wait," Lucy murmured.

**~LJ:D~**

It was like the second task all over again. There wasn't much for the crowd to do while they waited to see which champion would be the victor. Lucy wasn't sure if the maze was bewitched in a certain way, but the crowd couldn't hear anything that was happening inside it. Many normal conversations broke out, as though they were sitting in the Great Hall having lunch. People even started milling about between groups of people, gossiping and laughing.

"Lucy, can I have a word?" Bill asked.

Lucy nodded and got up, following him away from their group. "Charlie was right," she said once they were a few feet away. "George fancied me, and I had no idea."

"You don't have to justify anything," Bill said. "If you didn't fancy him, you didn't fancy him. There's nothing wrong with that. Anyway, your boyfriend—he said his last name is Whitlock." Lucy nodded warily, and Bill went on, "I'm not sure how much he's told you about his family, but the Whitlocks were right up there with the Malfoys in You-Know-Who's inner circle."

"I know," Lucy said. "He told me about his family, but he doesn't believe in all that blood purity stuff. He's always been very nice to Hermione and other Muggleborns, and he never speaks badly of Muggles."

"It's good if he doesn't want to follow in his family's footsteps," Bill commented, "but you should still be careful around him. It's all been very hushed up, but there's been quite a bit of increased Death Eater activity, starting with the Quidditch World Cup. Plus, the Death Eaters aren't above using people to get what they want, and that can even include their own children."

"Noted," Lucy said. "I'll watch out for it."

Bill let out a big breath of air. "You took that a lot better than I thought you might," he explained. "I don't know your boyfriend or his family's situation, but I just want to make sure that you're looking out for yourself."

Lucy smiled. "Thanks, Bill," she said. "We better get back before they think we're being too secretive."

Bill chuckled, and they went back to the rest of the Weasleys, Jeremy, and Hermione.

**~LJ:D~**

The night continued, and there was still no sign of a winner. Some of the younger students were even beginning to doze off.

"I do hope everything's all right," Mrs. Weasley commented. "They've been in that maze for quite a while now—"

Everything happened very suddenly. There was a loud whooshing noise, and Harry appeared just outside the maze. He fell over onto the ground, holding the cup in one hand and Cedric's arm in the other. At first everyone cheered, excited that finally the champions had returned. Lucy stood up, cheering, as well.

"Something's not right," Bill murmured from next to her.

Lucy's smile slipped from her face at his tone, and she quickly glanced at him to see him frowning before turning back to Harry. Dumbledore and some of the other teachers were hurrying forward, and none of them looked happy; on the contrary, they seemed very upset. Both Harry and Cedric were lying very still on the ground.

"Move!" Lucy shouted, pushing herself through the crowd.

"Lucy!" Jeremy shouted after her.

She ignored him; she had a bad feeling in her gut. As she moved through the other students, she could hear cries coming from those nearest to Harry.

"_He's dead_!"

Lucy's insides felt as though they had been filled with ice, and she ran faster, not caring about who she was pushing out of her way.

"Lucy!"

She felt two large hands grab her by her shoulders to steady her. "Hagrid!" she exclaimed. There were frightened tears running down her face as she craned her neck to look up at the half-giant. "Hagrid—please tell me Harry's okay—please—"

"Harry's okay," Hagrid replied. Throughout the confusion, Lucy saw Dumbledore beckoning Hagrid forward. "C'mon—this way," Hagrid added, pulling Lucy through the crowd.

"Hagrid, watch over Lucy, please," Dumbledore said as they got near.

Lucy was slowly working through what was happening; somebody had said that one of the boys was dead, but Hagrid had said that Harry was all right. That meant that Cedric—_Cedric _was dead. Lucy looked around, trying to find her brother, but he was gone. "Professor Dumbledore!" she screamed anxiously. "_Professor_! Harry's gone!"

Dumbledore was at her side in a flash. "I saw him," he said. "Lucy, this is very important, and I need you to listen carefully. _Harry will be all right._ Hagrid, I need you to take Molly, Bill, Lucy, Hermione, and Ron up to the hospital wing and wait for Harry there. Right away, please. Minerva! Severus! Come with me." He swept through the crowd without another word, Professors McGonagall and Snape on his heels.

"C'mon, Lucy," Hagrid said gruffly. "We need ter find the others. Where were yeh sittin'?"

Lucy guided Hagrid to where Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, Hermione, and Jeremy were standing. They were all looking worried and scared.

"Molly," Hagrid greeted solemnly.

"Hagrid, is it true?" Mrs. Weasley asked. "Is that poor boy really dead?"

Hagrid nodded, and Mrs. Weasley gasped, putting her hands to her mouth. Bill put an arm around his mother.

"Dumbledore asked me ter take you, Bill, Ron, Hermione, and Lucy up ter the hospital wing," Hagrid continued. "He wants yeh ter wait fer Harry there."

"Yes, of course," Mrs. Weasley said. "You heard the man. Let's go." She ushered Ron and Hermione forward.

"Lucy," Jeremy said, almost desperately, before Hagrid could lead them away. He reached out and gently took hold of Lucy's forearm. "Are you all right?"

"Yes," she replied, "but I have to go. I'm sorry."

Jeremy cupped her cheek in his hand briefly before pressing a hard kiss to her forehead. "Go," he said softly, letting go of her.

Lucy let Hagrid steer her away, and Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron, and Hermione followed behind. They walked in silence up to the castle and to the hospital wing.

"I be'er get back down ter the grounds," Hagrid said once they'd entered the ward, "in case they need any help. Yeh'll be okay up here?"

"Yes, we'll be fine," Mrs. Weasley replied. "Thank you, Hagrid."

Hagrid left, and Lucy slumped down onto one of the beds.

"Are you all right, dear?" Mrs. Weasley asked.

"I'm just so relieved Harry is okay," Lucy replied, "which is making me feel guilty, because Cedric is—" She had to stop talking at the mention of Cedric. Tears welled up in her eyes again.

"Well, hopefully Harry will be here shortly, and we'll find out what happened," Mrs. Weasley said.

So, they all took seats and waited for Harry to show up.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: This was a difficult chapter to write mostly because Lucy (obviously) doesn't accompany Harry into the maze/graveyard.**_

_**The brief conversation that Lucy has with Bill about Jeremy really solidifies Lucy's relationship with Bill. She really starts to see him as an older brother who's trying to look out for her.**_


	24. 24: In the Hospital Wing

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 24 – In the Hospital Wing**

A little while later, the hospital wing doors opened. The group looked up hopefully, but instead of Harry, they saw a stretcher come floating into the room, followed by Madam Pomfrey. Professor Moody was lying on the stretcher, and Madam Pomfrey levitated him onto one of the empty beds at the end of the ward.

"Madam Pomfrey, is Professor Moody all right?" Hermione piped up anxiously.

"Oh, yes," Madam Pomfrey replied. "It's a very long story, I'm afraid, but he'll be just fine. He just needs some peace and quiet." When she was finished getting Moody settled, she turned to look at the group and said, "I assume you're looking for Harry Potter."

"Yes," Mrs. Weasley said. "Hagrid brought us here on Dumbledore's orders to wait for Harry."

"I'm not sure where Mr. Potter is right now," Madam Pomfrey told her, "but you are free to wait here for him as long as you keep quiet for Alastor down there."

Mrs. Weasley assured her that they would be quiet, and they went back to waiting for Harry.

**~LJ:D~**

It was nearly half an hour later when the door to the hospital wing swung open again. Dumbledore entered, leading Harry and a familiar black dog: Sirius. The dog trotted past all of the others gathered there and stopped in front of Lucy, bumping her hand with his nose.

Lucy couldn't help herself; she knelt down and threw her arms around the dog's neck. "Hi, Snuffles," she murmured, sniffling a little.

"Harry!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed. "Oh, Harry!"

Lucy looked up to see Dumbledore stopping Mrs. Weasley from hugging Harry.

"Molly," the headmaster began, "please listen to me for a moment. Harry has been through a terrible ordeal tonight. He has just had to relive it for me. What he needs now is sleep, peace, and quiet. If he would like you all to stay with him, you may do so. I do not want you questioning him until he is ready to answer, which is certainly not this evening."

Mrs. Weasley nodded quickly, but this just made Lucy wonder what exactly had happened. It sounded like something much more serious than her original assumption that there had been an accident.

"Did you hear?" Mrs. Weasley said to the others. "He needs quiet!"

"Headmaster," Madam Pomfrey interrupted, coming forward while staring at Sirius, "may I ask what—?"

"This dog will be remaining with Harry for a while," Dumbledore explained. "I assure you, he is extremely well trained. Harry—I will wait while you get into bed. Lucy, a word, if you please."

He beckoned Lucy away from the group, who all made sure to give Harry his space as he got ready to get into bed. Sirius followed Lucy, sticking close to her side.

"There are things you need to know now," Dumbledore started in a low voice to Lucy. "Harry saw Lord Voldemort return to strength tonight."

Lucy put her hands to her mouth. She felt frightened—more frightened than she'd ever felt before. Sirius let out a low whine and nudged her hip with his head.

"I will talk to you more about what this means for Harry," Dumbledore continued, "but your safety is just as important as his. You must tell no one that you are Harry's sister; it has never been more crucial than right now. Stay with Harry tonight, and we'll talk about the summer in the next few days."

Lucy lowered her hands from her face. "I understand," she said in a surprisingly strong voice. She patted Sirius's head reassuringly.

Dumbledore nodded once and then ushered Lucy back to the group.

Madam Pomfrey had given Harry a set of pajamas, and Harry had changed and climbed into one of the beds.

"I will be back to see you as soon as I have met with Fudge, Harry," Dumbledore said. "I would like you to remain here tomorrow, until I have spoken to the school." He turned and strode from the hospital wing.

"Is he okay?" Harry asked, motioning to Moody resting at the end of the ward.

"He'll be fine," Madam Pomfrey replied.

She left to get Harry something, and Lucy and Sirius joined Harry at his bedside. Lucy felt tears in her eyes again as she gazed down at her brother. He'd had to face You-Know-Who again, and it sounded like he had barely escaped this time. It seemed so unfair to her that Harry had gone through so much, and now You-Know-Who had returned.

"I'm all right," Harry reported. "Just tired."

Mrs. Weasley leaned forward and smoothed out the covers on his bed, blinking back tears.

Madam Pomfrey came back, carrying a goblet and a bottle of purple potion. "You'll need to drink all of this, Harry," she explained softly, pouring the liquid from the bottle and into the goblet. "It's a potion for dreamless sleep."

Harry gratefully took the goblet from her and drank most of the potion before falling asleep.

**~LJ:D~**

Lucy and the others had been keeping a silent vigil over Harry for about an hour when the noises started. There were voices arguing loudly, and they seemed to be getting closer to the hospital wing. Sirius, whose head had been resting on Lucy's knee, perked up.

"They'll wake him if they don't shut up!" Lucy whispered angrily.

"What are they shouting about?" Bill asked quietly. "Nothing else can have happened, can it?"

Mrs. Weasley stood up, listening anxiously to the voices. "That's Fudge," she said. "And that's Minerva McGonagall, isn't it? What are they arguing about?"

They all listened hard, but it was getting easier to hear what the voices were saying, as though they were getting closer to the hospital.

"Regrettable," Fudge was insisting, "but all the same, Minerva—"

"You should never have brought it inside the castle!" Professor McGonagall snapped.

Lucy, Hermione, and Ron stood up and went to the edge of the privacy screen that had been put up around Harry's bed. Sirius followed, staying next to Lucy.

Professor McGonagall continued, "When Dumbledore finds out—!"

The doors to the hospital wing were pushed roughly open. Bill and Mrs. Weasley also stood up, and Bill shoved the screen aside. Fudge was walking towards them, followed closely by Professors McGonagall and Snape.

"Where's Dumbledore?" Fudge asked Mrs. Weasley.

"He's not here," Mrs. Weasley replied indignantly. "This is a hospital wing, Minister. Don't you think you'd do better to—?" She was interrupted by the hospital wing doors opening once more.

Dumbledore walked forward to join the others. "What has happened?" he asked, looking back and forth at Fudge and Professor McGonagall. "Why are you disturbing these people? Minerva, I'm surprised at you—I asked you to stand guard over Barty Crouch—"

_Crouch?_ Lucy thought, confused.

"There is no need to stand guard over him anymore, Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall replied hotly. "The Minster has seen to that!" She looked very upset.

"When we told Mr. Fudge that we had caught the Death Eater responsible for tonight's events," Snape stepped in, "he seemed to feel his personal safety was in question. He insisted on summoning a dementor to accompany him into the castle. He brought it up to the office where Barty Crouch—"

"I told him you would not agree, Dumbledore!" Professor McGonagall burst out. "I told him you would never allow dementors to set foot inside the castle, but—!"

"My dear woman!" Fudge cried. "As Minister of Magic, it is _my_ decision whether I wish to bring protection with me when interviewing a possibly dangerous—!"

"The moment that—that _thing_ entered the room," Professor McGonagall interrupted, "it swooped down on Crouch and—and—"

Lucy knew what Professor McGonagall couldn't say. The dementor had performed the Dementor's Kiss on the man in question, sucking his soul out. He was as good as dead.

"By all accounts, he is no loss!" Fudge sputtered. "It seems he has been responsible for several deaths!"

"But he cannot now give testimony, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. "He cannot give evidence about _why_ he killed those people."

"_Why_ he killed them?" Fudge repeated incredulously. "Well, that's no mystery, is it? He was a raving lunatic! From what Minerva and Severus have told me, he seems to have thought he was doing it all on You-Know-Who's instructions!"

"Lord Voldemort _was_ giving him instructions, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. The other people in the room flinched at the name, and the Weasleys and Hermione looked distraught. "Those people's death were mere by-products of a plan to restore Voldemort to full strength again," Dumbledore continued. "The plan succeeded. Voldemort has been restored to his body."

Hermione clutched at Lucy's arm, and Lucy put said arm comfortingly around Hermione's shoulders.

Fudge, on the other hand, just looked confused. "You-Know-Who—returned?" he said. "Preposterous. Come now, Dumbledore—"

"As Minerva and Severus have doubtlessly told you, we heard Barty Crouch confess," Dumbledore said. "Under the influence of Veritaserum, he told us how he was smuggled out of Azkaban, and how Voldemort—learning of his continued existence from Bertha Jorkins—went to free him from his father and used him to capture Harry. The plan worked, I tell you. Crouch has helped Voldemort to return."

_They're talking about Barty Crouch Jr.,_ Lucy thought, realization dawning on her. _So, he _was_ a Death Eater, after all.…_

"See here, Dumbledore," Fudge said. A small smile was forming on his face, as though he thought Dumbledore was playing a joke on him. "You—you can't seriously believe that. You-Know-Who—back? Come now, come now—certainly, Crouch may have _believed_ himself to be acting upon You-Know-Who's orders—but to take the word of a lunatic like that, Dumbledore—"

"When Harry touched the Triwizard Cup tonight, he was transported straight to Voldemort," Dumbledore said calmly. "He witnessed Lord Voldemort's rebirth. I will explain it all to you, if you will step up to my office." He paused, shook his head, and added, "I am afraid I cannot permit you to question Harry tonight."

"You are—er—prepared to take Harry's word on this, are you, Dumbledore?" Fudge asked, the same condescending smile on his face.

Sirius growled at Fudge, baring his teeth at the Minister. Lucy patted Sirius's head.

"Certainly, I believe Harry," Dumbledore replied. "I heard Crouch's confession, and I heard Harry's account of what happened after he touched the Triwizard Cup; the two stories make sense, and they explain everything that has happened since Bertha Jorkins disappeared last summer."

"You are prepared to believe that Lord Voldemort has returned," Fudge repeated slowly, "on the word of a lunatic murderer, and a boy who—well—"

Lucy balled up her fist furiously.

"You've been reading Rita Skeeter, Mr. Fudge."

Lucy and Hermione jumped together, before turning to see Harry sitting up in bed, looking directly at the minister.

"And if I have?" Fudge shot back, his face reddening. "If I have discovered that you've been keeping certain facts about the boy very quiet? A Parselmouth, eh? And having funny turns all over the place—"

"I assume that you are referring to the pains Harry has been experiencing in his scar," Dumbledore corrected him.

"You admit that he has been having these pains, then?" Fudge said. "Headaches? Nightmares? Possibly—hallucinations?"

"Listen to me, Cornelius," Dumbledore said. He seemed to stand up straighter. "Harry is as sane as you or I. That scar upon his forehead has not addled his brains. I believe it hurts him when Lord Voldemort is close by or feeling particularly murderous."

Fudge took a step back. "You'll forgive me, Dumbledore," he said, "but I've never heard of a curse scar acting as an alarm bell before—"

"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry yelled.

Lucy looked to see him trying to get out of bed, but Mrs. Weasley was standing next to him and pushed him back down.

"I saw the Death Eaters!" Harry insisted. "I can give you their names! Lucius Malfoy—!"

"Malfoy was cleared!" Fudge said. "A very old family—donations to excellent causes—!"

"Macnair!" Harry shouted.

"Also cleared!" Fudge replied. "Now working for the Ministry!"

"Avery—Nott—Crabbe—Goyle—Whitlock—!"

Lucy's heart dropped at the mention of the last name, and this time Hermione squeezed Lucy's hand in comfort.

"You are merely repeating the names of those who were acquitted of being Death Eaters thirteen years ago!" Fudge said, shaking his head. "You could have found those names in old reports of the trials! For heaven's sake, Dumbledore—the boy was full of some crackpot story at the end of last year, too—his tales are getting taller, and you're still swallowing them—the boy can talk to snakes, Dumbledore, and you still think he's trustworthy?"

"You fool!" Professor McGonagall spoke up. "Cedric Diggory! Mr. Crouch! These deaths were not the random work of a lunatic!"

"I see no evidence to the contrary!" Fudge yelled. "It seems to me that you are all determined to start a panic that will destabilize everything we have worked for these last thirteen years!"

"Voldemort has returned," Dumbledore said. "If you accept that fact straightaway, Fudge, and take the necessary measures, we may still be able to save the situation. The first and most essential step is to remove Azkaban from the control of the dementors—"

"Preposterous!" Fudge cried. "Remove the dementors? I'd be kicked out of office for suggesting it! Half of us only feel safe in our beds at night because we know the dementors are standing guard at Azkaban!"

"The rest of us sleep less soundly in our beds, Cornelius, knowing that you have put Lord Voldemort's most dangerous supporters in the care of creatures who will join him the instant he asks them!" Dumbledore replied. "They will not remain loyal to you, Fudge! Voldemort can offer them much more scope for their powers and their pleasures than you can! With the dementors behind him and his old supporters returned to him, you will be hard-pressed to stop him regaining the sort of power he had thirteen years ago!"

Fudge seemed absolutely speechless, so Dumbledore continued, "The second step you must take—and at once—is to send envoys to the giants."

"Envoys to the giants?" Fudge said faintly. "What madness is this?"

"Extend them the hand of friendship now, before it is too late," Dumbledore explained. "Otherwise Voldemort will persuade them, as he did before, that he alone among wizards will give them their rights and their freedom!"

"You—you cannot be serious!" Fudge screeched. "If the magical community got wind that I had approached the giants—people hate them, Dumbledore—end of my career—!"

"You are blinded," Dumbledore said, his voice ringing loud and clear, "by the love of the office you hold, Cornelius! You place too much importance, and you always have done, on the so-called purity of blood! You fail to recognize that it matters not what someone is born but what they grow to be! Your dementor has just destroyed the last remaining member of a pureblood family as old as any—and see what that man chose to make of his life!

"I tell you now—take the steps I have suggested, and you will be remembered, in office or out, as one of the bravest and greatest Ministers of Magic we have ever known. Fail to act—and history will remember you as the man who stepped aside and allowed Voldemort a second chance to destroy the world we have tried to rebuild—"

"Insane," Fudge said, shaking his head and taking a few steps back. "Mad—"

There was silence for a moment.

"If your determination to shut your eyes will carry you as far as this, Cornelius," Dumbledore said, "we have reached a parting of the ways. You must act as you see fit. And I—I shall act as _I_ see fit."

Fudge looked even more upset after this statement. "Now, see here, Dumbledore," he said. "I've given you free rein—always. I've had a lot of respect for you. I might not have agreed with some of your decisions, but I've kept quiet. There aren't many who'd have let you hire werewolves or keep Hagrid or decide what to teach your students without reference to the Ministry. If you're going to work against me—"

"The only one against whom I intend to work," Dumbledore interrupted swiftly, "is Lord Voldemort. If you are against him, then we remain, Cornelius, on the same side."

Fudge stared at Dumbledore for a moment. "He can't be back, Dumbledore," he muttered. "He just can't be—"

Snape walked towards Fudge, who flinched, but all Snape did was show Fudge his forearm. "There," he spat. "There. The Dark Mark. It's not as clear as it was an hour or so ago when it burned black, but you can still see it. Every Death Eater had the sign burned into them by the Dark Lord. It was a means of distinguishing one another and his means of summoning us to him. When he touched the mark of any Death Eater, we were to Disapparate and Apparate, instantly, at his side.

"This mark has been growing clearer all year. Karkaroff's, too. Why do you think Karkaroff fled tonight? We both felt the mark burn—we both knew he had returned. Karkaroff fears the Dark Lord's vengeance. He betrayed too many of his fellow Death Eaters to be sure of a welcome back into the fold."

Fudge shook his head, refusing to believe what anyone told him. "I don't know what you and your staff are playing at, Dumbledore," he said shakily, "but I have heard enough. I have no more to add. I will be in touch with you tomorrow to discuss the running of this school. I must return to the Ministry."

He was about to leave the hospital wing when he stopped, turned around, and walked back to Harry's bed. "Your winnings," he said, dropping a bag of gold onto the table next to the bed. "One thousand Galleons. There should have been a presentation ceremony, but under the circumstances—" He spun around again and left without another word or glance back.

Dumbledore turned his attention to the group of people gathered around Harry's bed. "There is work to be done," he said briskly. "Molly—am I right in thinking that I can count on you and Arthur?"

"Of course you can," Mrs. Weasley replied, looking fierce. "We know what Fudge is. It's Arthur's fondness for Muggles that's held him back at the Ministry all these years. Fudge thinks he lacks proper Wizarding pride."

Lucy let out an angry noise, and Bill put his hand on her shoulder.

"Then I need to send a message to Arthur," Dumbledore said. "All those that we can persuade of the truth must be notified immediately, and he is well placed to contact those at the Ministry who are not as shortsighted as Cornelius."

"I'll go to Dad," Bill volunteered. "I'll go now."

"Excellent," Dumbledore said, nodding. "Tell him what has happened, and tell him I will be in direct contact with him shortly. He will need to be discreet, however. If Fudge thinks I am interfering at the Ministry—"

"Leave it to me," Bill replied. He said quick good-byes to them all and left the hospital wing.

"Minerva," Dumbledore continued, turning to the professor, "I want to see Hagrid in my office as soon as possible. Also—if she will consent to come—Madam Maxime."

Professor McGonagall nodded once and left.

"Poppy," Dumbledore said, looking at Madam Pomfrey, "would you be very kind and go down to Professor Moody's office, where I think you will find a house-elf called Winky in considerable distress? Do what you can for her and take her back to the kitchens. I think Dobby will look after her for us."

"Very—very well," Madam Pomfrey agreed, looking a bit confused, but she hurried from the hospital wing.

Dumbledore checked that the door was shut behind her. "Now," he said, "it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are. Sirius—if you could resume your usual form."

The dog instantly returned to his human self.

Mrs. Weasley screamed. "Sirius Black!" she cried.

Lucy jumped in front of her godfather, gripping his arm tightly. Sirius put his hand on her shoulder comfortingly.

"Mum, shut up!" Ron said. "It's okay!"

"Him!" Snape growled, looking furiously at Sirius. "What is _he_ doing here?"

"He is here at my invitation," Dumbledore replied firmly, "as are you, Severus. I trust you both. It is time for you to lay aside your old differences and trust each other."

Lucy let go of Sirius but stayed next to him and eyed Snape warily.

Dumbledore continued, "I will settle, in the short term, for a lack of open hostility. You will shake hands. You are on the same side now. Time is short, and unless the few of us who know the truth stand united, there is no hope for any of us."

Sirius and Snape sized each other up for a moment before finally sharing a very brief handshake.

"That will do to be going on with," Dumbledore said as Sirius and Snape stepped away from each other. "Now, I have work for each of you. Fudge's attitude, though not unexpected, changes everything. Sirius, I need you to set off at once. You are to alert Remus Lupin, Arabella Figg, Mundungus Fletcher—the old crowd. Lie low at Remus's for a while; I will contact you there."

Harry, looking desperately at Sirius, interjected, "But—"

"You'll see me very soon, Harry," Sirius said. "I promise you. But I must do what I can. You understand, don't you?"

"Yeah," Harry said resignedly. "Yeah—of course, I do."

Sirius shook his hand and then turned to his goddaughter.

"Sirius—be _careful_," Lucy said.

Sirius looked her hard in the eyes. "Protect him," he stated. "Keep him safe."

Lucy nodded, feeling moisture gathering in her eyes again but refusing to let any tears fall. Sirius briefly hugged her before bidding farewell to the others. Then he transformed into a dog and left the ward.

"Severus," Dumbledore said to the Potions master, "you know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready—if you are prepared—"

"I am," Snape said, looking determined.

"Then good luck," Dumbledore said, and Snape also exited the room.

The only people left were Lucy, Hermione, Ron, and Mrs. Weasley.

"I must go downstairs," Dumbledore said. "I must see the Diggorys. Harry—take the rest of your potion. I will see all of you later." He left, leaving Lucy and the others to watch over Harry.

"You've got to take the rest of your potion, Harry," Mrs. Weasley finally spoke up after a few minutes. "You have a good long sleep. Try and think about something else for a while—think about what you're going to buy with your winnings!"

"I don't want that gold," Harry said dully. "You have it. Anyone can have it. I shouldn't have won it. It should've been Cedric's." His eyes became very shiny, and he looked at the ceiling.

"It wasn't your fault, Harry," Mrs. Weasley murmured.

"I told him to take the cup with me," Harry replied weakly.

Lucy moved forward, but Mrs. Weasley moved faster. She put her arms around Harry and hugged him tightly, and Lucy saw that Harry was trying his hardest not to cry.

There was a loud slamming nearby that startled everyone. They saw Hermione standing at the window, holding something in her hands.

"Sorry," she said.

"Your potion, Harry," Mrs. Weasley said, picking up the goblet and handing it over to Harry.

He took it and drank the rest of the liquid, falling into a deep sleep.

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: I love the interactions between Lucy and Sirius in this chapter. I feel like I'm going to be saying that a lot come the next story, too.**_

_**For those of you paying attention, yes, Harry does mention a Whitlock. Yes, that is Jeremy's father.**_

_**One more chapter to go!**_


	25. 25: Good-byes

_**A/N: This is the final chapter in this story!**_

_**Disclaimer: Harry Potter is not mine.**_

* * *

**Chapter 25 – Good-byes**

After Harry had fallen back asleep, Mrs. Weasley sent Lucy, Hermione, and Ron back to Gryffindor Tower to get some sleep in their own beds. Ron was the only one to complain, and Lucy and Hermione had to drag him out of the hospital wing. Lucy was dead on her feet, and as soon as she reached her bed, she fell asleep immediately.

The next morning, Lucy was still feeling worn out. She joined Hermione and Ron in the Great Hall for breakfast. She noticed that a lot of students were looking at them, but whenever she caught anyone's eye, they quickly looked away.

"I might be imagining it, but I think people are staring at us," Lucy said in a low voice to Hermione and Ron.

"You're not imagining it," Ron said, frowning. "I noticed it, too."

"I'm sure they're all wondering where Harry is," Hermione commented. "Nobody knows what happened last night—" She stopped abruptly, looking at the front of the hall.

Dumbledore had stood up from the head table. "I know a lot of you are wondering where Harry Potter is this morning," he said when the hall was quiet. "He spent the night in the hospital wing, and he will be released later today. I must insist that nobody question Harry about what happened last night. I assure you all that you will be more informed on the events from yesterday at a later date. In the meantime, I need to see the Weasleys, Lucy Jones, and Hermione Granger in the entrance hall in five minutes."

This time, Lucy knew that people were looking at them.

**~LJ:D~**

Five minutes later, Lucy, Hermione, and the Weasleys gathered in the entrance hall. There they found Mrs. Weasley and Dumbledore waiting for them.

"I think we'll take this upstairs in my office," Dumbledore said.

He led the way up to his office in silence. Professor McGonagall was already in the room when they arrived.

"We have some things to discuss, but first—Molly, you wanted to ask me something?" Dumbledore prompted, sitting behind his desk.

"Yes," Mrs. Weasley said. "I was wondering if we could take Harry with us this summer, instead of him going back to his aunt's and uncle's house."

"Ah," Dumbledore said. "Unfortunately, Harry needs to go back to his aunt's and uncle's house, at least for a little while. I know that's not a satisfactory answer," he added, holding his hand up when Mrs. Weasley opened her mouth to say something, "but you're just going to have to trust me about this."

Mrs. Weasley nodded silently.

"Now, onto another matter that has arisen," Dumbledore continued. "You all have to give me your word that you will not tell anyone about what I am going to tell you. Not even Harry."

Everyone nodded, although Lucy felt confused as to why they couldn't tell Harry about it.

"I am reorganizing the Order of the Phoenix," Dumbledore stated.

"What's the Order of the Phoenix?" Lucy asked immediately.

"It is a society that I helped form the last time that Lord Voldemort was powerful, to combat him," Dumbledore replied. "Sirius has offered me his family's old house in London as a headquarters. Over the summer, I'd like it if you all would help us out by making the house suitable for living in."

"Whatever you need us to do, we'll do it," Mrs. Weasley replied.

"Miss Granger, Miss Jones," Dumbledore said, turning to Lucy and Hermione, "I was wondering if you'd be willing to assist the Weasleys."

"Yes, of course," Lucy said immediately. Next to her, Hermione nodded vigorously.

"You realize I'm asking you to be away from your families for most of the summer?" Dumbledore asked.

"The Weasleys are my family," Lucy replied firmly.

"I just want to help any way I can," Hermione said. "I'm sure my parents will understand."

"That's settled, then," Dumbledore said. "The house should be ready about a week after term ends. Molly, I'll keep you and Arthur updated about it. That's all I needed to discuss with you. Lucy, Ron, Hermione—I daresay you'll want to go and visit Harry in the hospital wing. Stick close to him for this last week; he's going to need you."

After the meeting, Mrs. Weasley said her good-byes to her children, Lucy, and Hermione. She was pretty teary, and Fred and George hurried to assure their mother that they would see her in a little over a week.

**~LJ:D~**

Lucy, Ron, and Hermione went straight to the hospital wing, where Harry was awake and waiting for them. Madam Pomfrey released him a short time after they had arrived. The four of them went back to Gryffindor Tower.

When they entered the common room, everyone quieted when they saw Harry climb in after Ron. Nobody said anything to him, however, just as Dumbledore had asked.

"So, has anything interesting happened this morning?" Harry asked when they sat down in a corner of the common room.

"Dumbledore talked to the school at breakfast," Hermione reported. "He just told everyone to leave you alone and not ask you any questions about what happened."

"My mum had a meeting with Dumbledore after breakfast," Ron continued. "She asked him if you could come straight to us this summer, but he wants you to go back to the Dursleys, at least at first."

"Why?" Harry asked.

"Dumbledore said he had his reasons," Lucy said. "I suppose we've got to trust him, right?"

**~LJ:D~**

The remainder of the weekend consisted of Lucy, Hermione, Harry, and Ron relaxing around the castle and keeping to themselves. When the final week of term began, Lucy noticed that a lot of people were avoiding getting too close to Harry in the halls.

"What's the matter with everyone?" Lucy hissed to Harry in between classes.

"Nobody knows how Cedric died," Harry replied. "With what Rita Skeeter wrote, maybe everyone thinks _I_ killed him."

Lucy frowned.

**~LJ:D~**

In the middle of the week, Lucy finally saw Jeremy again. He joined her in the Great Hall for breakfast.

"Hi," she said. "I've been really worried about you. Is everything all right?"

Jeremy sat down on the bench next to her. "I know what happened that night," he replied in a low voice. "Most of the Slytherins already know."

Up close, Lucy could see that he looked tired and distressed. She reached out with one hand and threaded her fingers into his hair. "I wish there was something I could do to help," she said quietly.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," Jeremy said. "I mean, I always knew my father was a Death Eater—I always knew that he believed that Muggleborns weren't worth a damn. I just never thought that You-Know-Who would return."

"I don't think anyone thought that he would come back," Lucy said hurriedly, rubbing his arm.

"I don't want to be a Death Eater," Jeremy said bitterly. "I don't want to be like my father… but I can't publicly defy him. Not while I'm still underage and living under his roof." He took a shaky breath. "I'm scared, Lucy," he whispered.

Lucy's heart hurt listening to him. "You—are _not_—your father," she stated firmly. "You _don't_ have to be a Death Eater just because your father is one. You _don't_ have to take You-Know-Who's side."

"I'm already in Slytherin," Jeremy mumbled. "Everyone's going to think that I'm going to follow along in my father's footsteps—"

"Jeremy, _listen to me_," Lucy said desperately. "You are a _good person_. Not only are you a good person, but you are your _own_ person. _You_ get to decide what you want to believe in. Listen, Dumbledore said something that night—the night _he_ returned— _it matters not what someone is born but what they grow to be_. It doesn't matter who your parents are; it only matters who you decide to become."

"Do you believe that?" Jeremy asked.

"Yes, I do," Lucy said. She leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "I know that you are going to be a better person than your father. The Sorting Hat may have put you in Slytherin, but that does _not_ mean you have to be exactly like him."

Jeremy smiled faintly. "How is it that you always make me feel better?" he asked.

"You wouldn't like me as much if I didn't," Lucy shot back.

Jeremy's smile faded, and he said, "You know, I don't know how my parents would react to me dating someone who's best mates with Harry Potter. I haven't told them about you, and I don't think I'm going to yet."

"I understand," Lucy replied. She sighed. "I'm going to miss you this summer. I don't know how often I'll be able to write, because we'll have to be careful in case our owls get intercepted."

"I'll miss you, too," Jeremy said. He leaned forward and kissed her forehead. "I've got to get to class. I'll see you later, okay?"

Lucy nodded and watched him leave the Great Hall.

**~LJ:D~**

On Thursday, Lucy went with Hermione, Harry, and Ron to visit with Hagrid in place of going to Defense Against the Dark Arts. Since their teacher had turned out to be an imposter who ended up being Kissed by a dementor, that class had been cancelled for the last week of term.

"Who's that?" Hagrid yelled when they knocked on his front door. He opened it and saw the Gryffindors standing there. "_Harry_!" He pulled Harry into a hug. "Good ter see yeh, mate. Good ter see yeh."

He invited them all into the cabin, and when they entered, they saw two huge cups sitting on his kitchen table.

"Bin havin' a cuppa with Olympe," Hagrid said, seeing them looking at the two cups. "She's jus' left."

"Who?" Ron asked.

"Madam Maxime, o' course!" Hagrid replied, grinning.

"You two made up, huh?" Lucy said, raising an eyebrow at him.

"Dunno wha' yer talkin' about," Hagrid said. He busied himself with getting them some tea and cookies. When he had the refreshments made, he sat down with the others and looked at Harry. "Yeh all righ'?" he asked.

"Yeah," Harry replied.

"No, yer not," Hagrid said. "'Course yer not—but yeh will be." The others were silent, and Hagrid continued, "Knew he was goin' ter come back. Known it fer _years_, Harry. Knew he was out there, bidin' his time. It had ter happen. Well, now it has, an' we'll jus' have ter get on with it. We'll figh'. Migh' be able ter stop him before he gets a good hold. Tha's Dumbledore's plan, anyway. Great man, Dumbledore. 'S long as we've got him, I'm not too worried."

Lucy exchanged a glance with Hermione.

"No good sittin' an' worryin' abou' it," Hagrid continued. "Wha's comin' will come, an' we'll meet it when it does. Dumbledore told me wha' yeh did, Harry." He looked proudly at Harry. "Yeh did as much as yer father would've done, an' I can' give yeh no higher praise than tha'."

Harry smiled back, the first time he'd really smiled since before the third task. "What's Dumbledore asked you to do, Hagrid?" he asked. "He sent Professor McGonagall to ask you and Madam Maxime to meet him—that night."

"Got a little job fer me over the summer," Hagrid replied. "Secret, though. I'm not s'pposed ter talk abou' it. No, not even ter you lot. Olympe—Madam Maxime to yeh—migh' be comin' with me. I think she will. Think I got her persuaded."

"Is it to do with Voldemort?" Harry asked.

"Migh' be," Hagrid replied. "Now—who'd like ter come an' visit the las' skrewt with me? I was jokin'—jokin'!" He chuckled at the looks of horror on their faces.

**~LJ:D~**

The last day of term had arrived. There was one last feast to attend that night. Before the feast, Lucy and Hermione were in their dormitory, packing up their trunks.

"So," Hermione said tentatively, "Harry mentioned that one of the Death Eaters's names was Whitlock."

"Yeah," Lucy sighed. "Jeremy's father is a Death Eater, like Malfoy's. Jeremy told me about it at the Yule Ball."

"What's he going to do?" Hermione asked.

"He's going to go home like everything is normal," Lucy replied. "There's not much else he _can_ do. He can't really go against his parents. If they were to throw him out of their house, he'd have nowhere to go. He needs to keep himself safe."

"And how do you feel about it?" Hermione pressed.

"I'm—I'm scared for him," Lucy admitted. "When Bill pulled me aside at the third task, he mentioned that Death Eaters aren't above using their own children to get what they want. I just want Jeremy to stay safe, and I wish I could help him. I wish I could take him away from his house, so that he wouldn't have to make this choice."

"Do you think…?" Hermione trailed off, looking a bit uncomfortable.

"Do I think what?" Lucy prompted.

"Do you think there's a chance that Jeremy would want to become a Death Eater?" Hermione asked in a hushed tone.

Lucy paused for a moment, her heart aching at the thought of it. "I'd like to think that I know him well enough to say that he would never join them," she whispered, "but there's a tiny part of me that wonders.…"

Hermione nodded and didn't say anything more about it.

**~LJ:D~**

When it was time for the feast, Lucy and Hermione met Harry and Ron in the common room. They went down to the Great Hall together, and the first thing they noticed was that the hall wasn't decorated in the colors of the house that had won the House Cup. Instead, there were simple black drapes hanging from the walls.

Lucy sat down at the Gryffindor table with her friends and looked up at the staff table. The real Mad-Eye Moody was sitting at the table for the first time, and he seemed very jumpy. Karkaroff's chair was empty, and Lucy remembered that Snape said Karkaroff had fled. The rest of the teachers were there, along with Madam Maxime.

Professor Dumbledore stood up, and everyone turned their attention to him.

"The end of another year," Dumbledore said heavily, looking around at the students. His gaze stopped on the Hufflepuff table, and he said, "There is much I would like to say to you all tonight, but I must first acknowledge the loss of a very fine person, who should be sitting here enjoying our feast with us. I would like you all, please, to stand and raise your glasses… to Cedric Diggory."

Everyone stood and held their glasses up, murmuring, "Cedric Diggory." Lucy felt tears in her eyes, which she let fall silently. The students all sat down again.

"Cedric was a person who exemplified many of the qualities that distinguished Hufflepuff house," Dumbledore said. "He was a good and loyal friend. He was a hard worker. He valued fair play. His death has affected you all, whether you knew him well or not. I think that you have the right, therefore, to know exactly how it came about."

The tension in the hall was thick as the students waited to hear what they'd been so anxious to find out.

"Cedric Diggory was murdered by Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore stated in a firm voice.

The hall broke out in panicked whispers, and many students looked stunned. Lucy looked around, tears still sliding down her face. She locked eyes with Jeremy two tables over, and he looked upset, as well. Lucy wished that she could be sitting with him.

"The Ministry of Magic does not wish me to tell you this," Dumbledore continued. "It is possible that some of your parents will be horrified that I have done so—either because they will not believe that Lord Voldemort has returned, or because they think I should not tell you so, young as you are. It is my belief, however, that the truth is generally preferable to lies and that any attempt to pretend Cedric died as the result of an accident or some sort of blunder of his own is an insult to his memory.

"There is somebody else who must be mentioned in connection with Cedric's death," Dumbledore said. "I am talking, of course, about Harry Potter."

People turned to Harry, who looked determinedly at Dumbledore.

"Harry Potter managed to escape Lord Voldemort," Dumbledore explained. "He risked his own life to return Cedric's body to Hogwarts. He showed, in every respect, the sort of bravery that few wizards have ever shown in facing Lord Voldemort, and for this, I honor him."

Dumbledore turned to Harry and raised his goblet. Everyone else followed suit, mumbling his name just as they had Cedric's.

"The Triwizard Tournament's aim was to further and promote magical understanding," Dumbledore went on when everyone had settled back in their seats. "In the light of what has happened—of Lord Voldemort's return—such ties are more important than ever." His eyes swept over the Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students. "Every guest in this hall will be welcomed back here at any time, should they wish to come.

"I say to you all, once again—in the light of Lord Voldemort's return, we are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided. Lord Voldemort's gift for spreading discord and enmity is very great. We can fight it only by showing an equally strong bond of friendship and trust. Differences of habit and language are nothing at all if our aims are identical and our hearts are open.

"It is my belief—and never have I so hoped that I am mistaken—that we are all facing dark and difficult times. Some of you in this hall have already suffered directly at the hands of Lord Voldemort. Many of your families have been torn asunder. A week ago, a student was taken from our midst.

"Remember Cedric. Remember, if the time should come when you must make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good and kind and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Cedric Diggory."

**~LJ:D~**

The next day, the Hogwarts students were all waiting in the entrance hall to go down to the Hogwarts Express. The Beauxbatons and Durmstrang students were getting ready to leave, as well. Lucy was standing with Ron, Harry, and Hermione.

"'Arry!" a voice called. Fleur Delacour came running over to them. She stopped in front of Harry and said, "We will see each uzzer again, I 'ope. I am 'oping to get a job 'ere, to improve my Eenglish."

"It's very good already," Ron cut in.

Fleur smiled, and Lucy and Hermione exchanged a look.

"Good-bye, 'Arry," Fleur said. "It 'az been a pleasure meeting you!" She turned and flounced away.

"Lucy!"

Lucy turned to see Jeremy pushing through the crowd to get to her. She rushed towards him, meeting him halfway. He pulled her into his arms and hugged her tightly.

"I promised Jake, Daphne, and Mary that I'd ride the train back with them," Jeremy murmured into her hair, "so I wanted to say good-bye now, in case I don't see you."

"I'm going to miss you," Lucy said, not wanting to let go of him.

"I'll miss you, too," he replied.

Lucy felt tears stinging her eyes, and she pulled away from him to wipe them away. "I'm sick of crying," she commented, frustrated.

Jeremy took her face in both of his hands and gently wiped the tears off her cheek with his thumb. "Everything will be okay," he said reassuringly. "I'll see you next fall."

"I'll try to write," Lucy promised. "I just don't know how much I'll be able to put into letters. You know, for safety.…"

"That's okay," Jeremy said. "I should catch up with the others. Good-bye, Lucy."

He lowered his lips onto hers, kissing her softly, before pulling away. He gave her a cheeky half-smile, and her heart melted. It was the same grin that he had given to her when he was eleven years old and they had met for the first time. Then he turned and left to rejoin his friends.

"Good-bye," Lucy whispered after him.

She took a deep breath and wiped her eyes once more before walking over to Hermione, Ron, and Harry. Hermione rubbed Lucy's arm, while Ron and Harry stood by awkwardly.

"Wonder how the Durmstrang students are getting back," Ron commented, breaking the silence. "D'you reckon they can steer that ship without Karkaroff?"

"Karkaroff did not steer," a voice said from behind them. "He stayed in his cabin and let us do the vork." Krum had appeared, evidently to say good-bye to Hermione. "Could I have a vord?" he asked her.

"Oh—yes—all right," Hermione replied. She followed Krum through the crowd.

"You'd better hurry up!" Ron called. "The carriages'll be here in a minute!" He stood on his toes, trying to spy on Hermione and Krum, while Lucy and Harry watched for the carriages.

Hermione and Krum returned after only a few minutes.

"I liked Diggory," Krum said to Harry. "He vos alvays polite to me. Alvays. Even though I vos from Durmstrang—vith Karkaroff." He scowled.

"Have you got a new headmaster yet?" Harry asked.

Krum shrugged and shook Harry's hand. Then he shook Lucy's hand and then Ron's, much to Ron's surprise. Krum started to walk away.

"Can I have your autograph?" Ron blurted out.

Lucy and Hermione chuckled, noticing the carriages had just pulled up.

**~LJ:D~**

Once on the train home, Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione got a compartment to themselves. For the first part of the trip, they talked about what had happened on the night of the third task and what Dumbledore's plans were.

The lunch trolley soon came around, and Lucy and Hermione both got some food to share between the four of them.

When they settled back into their compartment, Hermione pulled out a copy of the _Daily Prophet_ from her bag. Harry glanced at it warily.

"There's nothing in there," Hermione said. "You can look for yourself, but there's nothing at all. I've been checking every day. Just a small piece the day after the third task saying you won the tournament. They didn't even mention Cedric. Nothing about any of it. If you ask me, Fudge is forcing them to keep quiet."

"He'll never keep Rita quiet," Harry said. "Not on a story like this."

"Oh, Rita hasn't written anything at all since the third task," Hermione replied. "As a matter of fact, Rita Skeeter isn't going to be writing anything at all for a while. Not unless she wants me to spill the beans on _her_."

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked.

"I found out how she was listening in on private conversations when she wasn't supposed to be coming onto the grounds," Hermione replied.

"How was she doing it?" Lucy prompted.

"And how did you find out?" Ron added.

"Well, it was you, really, who gave me the idea, Harry," Hermione began.

"Did I?" Harry asked. "How?"

"_Bugging_," Hermione replied, smiling.

Ron pointed out, "But you said they didn't work—"

"Oh, not _electronic _bugs," Hermione said. "No, you see—Rita Skeeter is an unregistered Animagus. She can turn—" Hermione pulled a glass jar out of her bag. "—into a beetle."

"You're kidding," Ron said. "You haven't—she's not—"

"Oh, yes, she is," Hermione said triumphantly. She held the jar up, so they could see the beetle sitting inside.

Ron, taking the jar and lifting it up to his eyes, breathed, "That's never—you're kidding—"

"No, I'm not," Hermione said happily. "I caught her on the windowsill in the hospital wing. Look very closely, and you'll notice the markings around her antennae are exactly like those foul glasses she wears."

Lucy and Harry looked closer and saw that Hermione was right.

"Holy _shit_, Hermione," Ron said.

"There was a beetle on the statue the night we heard Hagrid telling Madam Maxime about his mum!" Harry exclaimed.

"Exactly," Hermione said, "and Viktor pulled a beetle out of my hair after we'd had our conversation by the lake. And unless I'm very much mistaken, Rita was perched on the windowsill of the Divination class the day your scar hurt. She's been buzzing around for stories all year."

Ron began, "When we saw Malfoy under that tree—"

"He was talking to her, in his hand," Hermione finished. "He knew, of course. That's how she's been getting all those nice little interviews with the Slytherins. They wouldn't care that she was doing something illegal, as long as they were giving her horrible stuff about us and Hagrid."

She took the jar back from Ron and continued, "I've told her I'll let her out when we get back to London. I've put an Unbreakable Charm on the jar, you see, so she can't transform. I've told her she's to keep her quill to herself for a whole year. See if she can't break the habit of writing horrible lies about people." She put the jar back into her bag.

The door of their compartment slid open.

"Very clever, Granger," Malfoy said. Crabbe and Goyle were behind him, as usual. "So," Malfoy began, taking a few steps into their compartment, "you caught some pathetic reporter, and Potter's Dumbledore's favorite boy again. Big deal." He smirked. "Trying not to think about it, are we? Trying to pretend it hasn't happened?"

"Get out," Harry said flatly.

"You've picked the losing side, Potter!" Malfoy taunted. "I warned you! I told you, you ought to choose your company more carefully, remember? When we met on the train on the first day at Hogwarts? I told you not to hang around with riffraff like this! Too late now, Potter! They'll be the first to go, now the Dark Lord's back! Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers first! Well—second—Diggory was the f—"

The compartment was filled with shouting and loud bangs. Numerous spells had gone off, and Lucy had to blink a few times to see clearly through the haze.

Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were unconscious on the floor of the compartment. Lucy, Harry, Ron, and Hermione had all jumped up and cast a different hex at the group of boys, and by the looks of things, they weren't the only ones.

"Thought we'd see what those three were up to," Fred said, stepping into the compartment.

George followed. "Interesting effect," he commented, looking over Crabbe. "Who use the Furnunculus Curse?"

"Me," Harry said.

"Odd," George said. "I used Jelly-Legs. Looks as though those two shouldn't be mixed. He seems to have sprouted little tentacles all over his face. Well, let's not leave them here. They don't add much to the décor."

He, Ron, and Harry pushed the three Slytherins out into the corridor. Then they reentered the compartment and shut the door behind them.

"Exploding Snap, anyone?" Fred offered, pulling out his pack of cards.

**~LJ:D~**

They played through four games before Harry spoke up again. "Are you going to tell us, then?" he asked the twins. "Who were you blackmailing?"

"Oh," George said, frowning deeply. "_That_."

"It doesn't matter," Fred said. "It wasn't anything important. Not now, anyway."

"We've given up," George added.

The other four continued to ask them about it, and Fred finally held his hands up in defeat. "All right, all right, if you really want to know…" he said. "It was Ludo Bagman."

"Bagman?" Harry asked in surprise. "Are you saying he was involved in—?"

"Nah," George said, shaking his head. "Nothing like that. Stupid git. He wouldn't have the brains."

"Well, what, then?" Ron pressed.

"You remember that bet we had with him at the Quidditch World Cup?" Fred asked. "About how Ireland would win, but Krum would get the Snitch?"

"Yeah," Lucy answered for them all.

"Well, the git paid us in leprechaun gold he'd caught from the Irish mascots," Fred said.

"So?" Ron asked.

"_So_," Fred said, "it vanished, didn't it? By the next morning, it was fucking gone!"

"Well—it must have been an accident, mustn't it?" Hermione asked.

George let out a laugh. "Yeah, that's what we thought—at first," he said. "We thought if we just wrote to him and told him he'd made a mistake, he'd cough up—but nothing doing. Ignored out letter. We kept trying to talk to him about it at Hogwarts, but he was always making some excuse to get away from us."

"In the end, he turned pretty nasty," Fred continued. "Told us we were too young to gamble, and he wasn't giving us anything."

"So, we asked for our money back," George said.

"He didn't refuse!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Right in one," Fred said.

"That was all your savings!" Ron said.

"Tell me about it," George said. "'Course, we found out what was going on in the end. Lee Jordan's dad had had a bit of trouble getting money off Bagman, as well. Turns out, he's in big trouble with the goblins. Borrowed loads of gold off them. A gang of them cornered him in the woods after the World Cup and took all the gold he had, and it still wasn't enough to cover all his debts. They followed him all the way to Hogwarts to keep an eye on him. He's lost everything gambling. Hasn't got two Galleons to rub together. And you know how the idiot tried to pay the goblins back?"

"How?" Harry asked.

"He put a bet on you, mate," Fred said. "Put a _big_ bet on you to win the tournament. Bet against the goblins."

"So _that's_ why he kept trying to help me win!" Harry said. "Well—I did win, didn't I? So he can pay you your gold!"

"Nope," George said. "The goblins play as dirty as him. They say you drew with Diggory, and Bagman was betting you'd win outright. So, Bagman had to run for it. He _did_ run for it—right after the third task." He heaved a sigh and then began to deal the cards out for another game of Exploding Snap.

**~LJ:D~**

Finally, the train was pulling into King's Cross. Lucy followed Hermione and Ron out of the compartment, climbing awkwardly over Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle, who were still laying in the corridor.

When they got off the train, Lucy looked around. "Where's Harry?" she asked.

A minute later, Harry jumped down from the train, followed by the Weasley twins. Ginny met up with them at the barrier, and together they walked back into the Muggle world.

They found Mrs. Weasley, who gave them all very tight hugs. Harry's uncle was standing nearby, as well, looking as grumpy as he always did. The Weasleys, Hermione, and Lucy passed Harry around, saying their farewells.

"See you, Harry," Ron said, slapping Harry's shoulder.

"'Bye, Harry!" Hermione said, kissing Harry on the cheek.

Lucy pulled her brother into a tight hug. "We'll see you soon," she said. "I promise."

George and Fred muttered something to him, and Ginny said good-bye, as well. Then Harry was walking off to join his uncle.

"Come along, everyone," Mrs. Weasley said after they watched Harry leave. "We've got a lot of work to do this summer."

**~LJ:D~**

* * *

_**A/N: The conversation between Lucy and Jeremy is a very important one that needed to happen. He had to voice his fears, and Lucy had to hear them. Likewise, Lucy needs to voice her fears to Hermione later on, that there's a small part of her that's worried Jeremy will change at some point in the future.**_

_**And we've come to the end of yet another story. There will not be an upload on Wednesday or Friday this week, because I will be waiting until the weekend to upload and prep story number five. It's called Nowhere Kids, and I'll start posting it on Monday, June 17th. See you then!**_


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